Local Transport Plan

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 December 2006,  Official Report, column 132-3WS, on the Local Transport Capital Settlement 2007-08, whether the funding of £3 billion to improve local transport outside London is included in the total of £8 billion over the five years of the local transport plan period; and whether  (a) that £3 billion and  (b) any part of it had previously been announced.

Gillian Merron: The £3 billion funding announced in the written ministerial statement of 18 December 2006 is part of the total planned investment of £8 billion over the five years of the local transport plan period (2006-07 to 2010-11). The £3 billion is composed of integrated transport allocations for the four years from 2007-08 to 2010-11 and maintenance allocations for 2007-08.
	These allocations for individual local transport plan areas of the £3 billion have not been announced before. However, planning guidelines distributing most of the integrated transport and maintenance funding to local transport plan areas on an indicative basis had been published previously in order to allow councils to formulate effective and realistic transport strategies.
	The Department for Transport's guidance on local transport plans (dated December 2004 and published on the DfT website) pointed out that the eventual allocations for individual local transport plans would be adjusted for performance and so might differ significantly from these indicative planning guidelines. The guidance however indicated an intention (now delivered) that each plan area would receive at least three quarters of its planning guidelines.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Government plans to make a contribution to the UN High Commission for Refugees' emergency appeal for refugees fleeing violence in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID is very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Iraq and we are in close contact with the United Nations and Red Cross to discuss what more the UK can do. UN agencies estimate that some 1.7 million Iraqis are currently displaced internally and up to two million others have fled to nearby countries. We are currently discussing with UN agencies and the international Red Cross where funds can be most effectively placed to deliver assistance on the ground. No decision has yet been taken over whether we will be contributing to the UNHCR appeal.
	DFID is already supporting humanitarian agencies in Iraq. Since 2003 we have contributed over £100 million of assistance to the UN and Red Cross. This includes £85 million to UN humanitarian appeals and £32 million to the international Red Cross—we made a contribution of £4 million to the 2006 Red Cross appeal. Additionally, DFID provided £70 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), which provides support to IDPs though UN trust funds cluster F (which is identified for humanitarian needs).

World Classroom Publication

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was for the  (a) production and design, including payments to Cog Design, and  (b) distribution to schools of the The World Classroom publication.

Gareth Thomas: The cost for  (a) the production and design of The World Classroom (including payments to Cog Design) was £13,203.53. There is a Welsh language version of this publication in production, costs are yet to be finalised.
	 (b) DFID does not distribute publications directly to schools as per the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) guidelines. The document has been distributed to Development Education Centres and other partner organisations and this has come to £451.07 to date.

Abandoned Vehicles

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to reduce the number of abandoned cars; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of abandoned vehicles has significantly reduced over the last few years. DEFRA's Waste Data Flow survey shows that there has been a 58 per cent. reduction from 294,000 in 2002-03 to an estimated 126,000 in 2005-06.
	The end-of-life vehicle directive (ELV) sets out measures to recycle and reuse end-of-life vehicles and their components to reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal. The producer responsibility obligations mean that, since 1 January 2007, vehicle producers have been required to make available an adequate network of facilities where last owners can receive free take-back for their vehicles.
	Best Value Performance Indicator 218 was introduced to record the percentage of vehicles investigated within 24 hours of the report being received and the percentage of vehicles being removed within 24 hours of being legally entitled to do so. This will encourage local authorities to clear vehicles from the road as quickly as possible and therefore reduce the probability of arson and associated antisocial behaviour. This is a mandatory local area agreement indicator for all local authorities in receipt of Neighbourhood Renewal funding.
	The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 gives local authorities more powers to deal with abandoned cars. All vehicles abandoned on a road can now be removed as soon as they are identified. The definition of 'road' has been widened, so abandoned vehicles can be removed immediately from any road. Rules on disposing abandoning vehicles have been simplified. Abandoned vehicles that are only fit for destruction, or those that do not display a license or number plate, can now be destroyed immediately. If local authorities are unable to find the owner of a vehicle, or if the owner does not collect the vehicle within seven days of being contacted, the vehicle can be disposed of. Also, local authorities can impose fixed penalties of £200, in lieu of prosecution, if the owner of an abandoned vehicle can be identified.
	DEFRA is also working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to increase the percentage of vehicles that are registered. The introduction of continuous registration and the statutory off road notice have made it easier to provide a clear picture of vehicle ownership through the vehicle register. 93 local authorities have received training and devolved powers from the DVLA to remove unlicensed vehicles from the road. It is often unlicensed vehicles that end up abandoned and/or are involved in criminal activity and therefore the quicker they are identified and removed the better. It is likely that the number of abandoned vehicles will continue to decrease as the percentage of unlicensed vehicles is reduced.

Agricultural Land

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of land in  (a) England and  (b) each EU member state is devoted to agricultural use.

Barry Gardiner: In 2005, 75 per cent. of land in England, including common land, was on an agricultural holding. The proportion across the whole of the UK is 77 per cent.
	EU-wide figures are available excluding common land. These are shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Member state  Land on agricultural holdings (excluding common land) as a proportion of total land, 2005 
			 Austria 80 
			 United Kingdom 69 
			 Czech Republic 66 
			 Denmark 66 
			 Ireland 66 
			 Hungary 66 
			 Spain 65 
			 Slovakia 64 
			 Netherlands 60 
			 Italy 59 
			 Poland 56 
			 Germany 53 
			 Luxembourg 53 
			 Portugal 52 
			 Lithuania 50 
			 Latvia 48 
			 Belgium 46 
			 France 46 
			 Slovenia 46 
			 Malta 37 
			 Greece 33 
			 Cyprus 33 
			 Estonia 26 
			 Finland 21 
			 Sweden 17 
			 Bulgaria — 
			 Romania — 
			  Notes: 1. The area of land on agricultural holdings is collected through the EU Farm Structure Survey. Common land is not included as part of this survey. Although the data is largely collected on a comparable basis in each member state, the threshold for the smallest agricultural holding to be included in the survey does vary. 2. The total land area figures are for 2003. 3. The area of land on agricultural holdings is not available on a comparable basis for Bulgaria and Romania.  Sources:  Agricultural land area—EU Farm Structure Survey, 2005; Total land area—OECD Statistical Year Book, 2006

Animal Welfare Act

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to announce a timetable for secondary legislation under the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: During the passage of the Animal Welfare Act through Parliament, the noble Lord Rooker and I made a number of commitments for the introduction of secondary legislation. The following table outlines in full our intended timetable for the introduction of secondary legislation:
	
		
			  Issue  Proposed timetable 
			 Mutilations Regulations by April 2007 (to be introduced at same time as Act comes into force) 
			 Tail Docking Regulations by April 2007 (to be introduced at same time as Act comes into force) 
			 Racing Greyhounds Regulations by 2008 
			 Pet Fairs Regulations by 2008 
			 Primates as Pets Code of Practice by 2008 
			 Wild Animals in Circuses Regulations by 2008 
			 Cat Code Code of Practice by 2008 
			 Dog Code Code of Practice by 2008 
			 Pet shops Regulations and possible Code of Practice by 2008 
			 Game Birds Draft code of practice by end 2008 Coming into force 2009 
			 Animal (dog and cat) Boarding No commitment(1) 
			 Tethering of horses No commitment(1) 
			 Riding Schools No commitment(1) 
			 Livery Yards No commitment(1) 
			 Animal Sanctuaries No commitment(1) 
			 Performing Animals No commitment(1) 
			 (1) These regulations and codes will be introduced as soon as possible in line with available resources. Bringing any other issues forward may have a detrimental effect where commitments have already been given.

Devolved Administration Funding

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of his Department's budget re-allocations in 2006-07 will impact on funding streams which cover the devolved administrations; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Department's budget re-allocations in 2006-07 did not impact on funding streams between DEFRA and the devolved administrations.

Livestock Identification

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost is of implementing EU Regulation 21/2004, on electronic identification, for an average-sized  (a) market and  (b) slaughterhouse.

Ben Bradshaw: In England, we have produced a partial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the introduction of electronic identification (EID) for sheep and goats. This document is a work in progress. However, current estimates are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Annual cost of EID: 
			   Breeding sheep only  All sheep 
			 Markets 0.51 1.22 
			 Slaughterhouses(1) 0.63 0.62 
			 (1) Excludes recovery costs of transponders. 
		
	
	These costs are based on current prices and it is expected that they will reduce considerably as technology improves and economies of scale are exploited.
	We do not hold information on the costs to average-sized markets and slaughterhouses.

Livestock Identification

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost is of implementing EU Regulation 21/2004 on electronic identification on an average-sized flock of sheep.

Ben Bradshaw: England has produced a partial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the introduction of electronic identification (EID) for sheep and goats. This document is a work in progress. However, current estimates of the cost of implementing the regulation are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Severely disadvantaged area (SDA) farm (1,000 ewes)  Lowland farm (500 ewes)  Small lowland farm (200 ewes) 
			 EID—all sheep 1,909 1,277 1,002 
			 EID—breeding sheep only 1,313 736 619 
		
	
	These costs are based on current prices and there is an expectation that they will reduce considerably as technology improves and economies of scale are exploited.

Pollution

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) homes and  (b) gardens were flooded with sewage in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: Ofwat is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales. It collects information from companies on internal sewer flooding each year. Ofwat began collecting information on external sewer flooding in 2003-04.
	Table one sets out the number of properties affected by internal sewer flooding in each of the last five years. This includes both household and non-household properties.
	Table two sets out the number of areas experiencing external flooding in each year since 2003-04. This includes highways, curtilages (i.e. gardens, outbuildings, driveways, garages, pathways etc.) and other areas such as car parks and public open spaces. Ofwat does not collect information which specifically relates to the number of gardens experiencing sewer flooding.
	
		
			  Table 1: Internal flooding 
			   Number of properties 
			 2001-02 4,957 
			 2002-03 5,327 
			 2003-04 3,358 
			 2004-05 4,942 
			 2005-06 4,922 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: External flooding 
			   Number of areas 
			 2003-04 20,571 
			 2004-05 24,370 
			 2005-06 24,561

Rat Population

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the rat population in England and Wales.

Ben Bradshaw: The most recent estimate of the common rat ( Rattus norvegicus) population in England and Wales was a minimum of 5,240,000 individuals in England and 680,000 in Wales. These figures were established by a review that assessed the population and conservation status of all British mammals, published in 1995 and is also quoted in the UK Mammals Species Status and Population Trends report by the Tracking Mammals Partnership in 2005. A copy of the report can be found at the following weblink:
	http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/pub05_ukmammals_speciesstatusText_final.pdf
	The only recent objective national survey of rat presence in England is within the English House Condition Survey (EHCS). The 2001 survey revealed that 0.3 per cent. of properties had rats indoors and 2.9 per cent. had rats present outside. A copy of the report can be found at the following weblink:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/reports/English-house-survey-rodent-report.pdf

Recycling

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to assess the relationship between increases in household recycling, reduced numbers of weekly refuse collection rounds by local authorities and increases in the rat population in urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: An independent, DEFRA funded research study, carried out by Enviros Consulting and Cranfield University in 2006, concluded that there was no evidence of rises in rat populations resulting from alternate weekly collection of household refuse designed to increase levels of recycling.
	The study found that the influence of domestic waste management arrangements on rats is likely to be insignificant in comparison to other factors, such as the age of the property, the area (urban or rural), and the adequate upkeep of drains.
	The winter interim report for phase one of the study has been published and is available from DEFRA's Local Authority Support website at:
	http://lasupport.defra.gov.uk/ViewDocument_Image.aspx?Doc_ID=362
	Proper design of an alternate weekly collection (AWC) service should avoid any increase in nuisance to householders. The Waste and Resources Action Programme has published guidance for local authorities on the design and implementation of alternate weekly collection services, in order to minimise nuisance and health risks. This includes, for example, hygiene measures for bins.
	This is an important issue and DEFRA is supporting further research into this area. A report covering the summer period is currently under way and will be published soon.

Reservoirs

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the water levels are in reservoirs in each of the water company areas.

Ian Pearson: In England and Wales, overall reservoir storage is now normal or above normal for the time of year in the majority of the Environment Agency's Regions. In the south west and Midlands regions, levels are slightly below normal. Many reservoirs are now full.
	The overall percentage full figures as of 10 January 2007 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Region  Reservoir levels  Percentage full figures 
			 North East All key reservoirs or reservoir groups are at a normal level for the time of year 95 
			 North West Two key reservoirs or reservoir groups are now full. One reservoir is slightly below normal for the time of year 98 
			 Midlands One key reservoir is slightly below normal for the time of year 92 
			 Anglian All key reservoirs are normal or above for the time of year 92 
			 Thames All key reservoirs or reservoir groups are normal or above for the time of year 94 
			 Southern All key reservoirs are at a normal level for the time of year 92 
			 South West Two key reservoirs are below normal, one notably low 77 
			 EA Wales All key reservoirs or reservoir groups are normal or above for the time of year 99 
		
	
	Overall storage for England and Wales is 94 per cent.
	Reservoirs, however, provide only around 30 per cent. of water supply in the south east: around 70 per cent. is from groundwater. Groundwater levels are showing a more variable response to recent rainfall and are generally below those expected for the time of year; continued rain will be needed to restore groundwater to normal levels across the south east.

Waste Resources Action Programme

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what target was set by the Waste Resources Action Programme for diverting nappy waste from landfill  (a) through the 25 local authorities schemes taking part in the Real Nappy Programme and  (b) the Real Nappy Programme as a whole including the awareness-raising initiatives;
	(2)  what volume of nappy waste was diverted from landfill  (a) by the 25 local authorities schemes taking part in the Real Nappy Programme and  (b) the Real Nappy Programme as a whole including the awareness-raising initiatives.

Ben Bradshaw: The target of the Waste and Resources Action Programme's (WRAP) Real Nappy Programme, set out in their business plan 2003-06, was to divert 35,000 tonnes of disposable nappy waste from landfill. No separate target was set for the 25 local authority schemes.
	WRAP'S Achievement Report, published on 4 October 2006, states that the programme diverted 23,000 tonnes of biodegradable nappy waste from landfill in England. This figure related to directly funded diversion schemes. No estimate was made for the amount that may have been diverted by the awareness raising and promotional aspects of the scheme.

Somalia

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects the Intergovernmental Authority on Development regional peace keeping force to Somalia to be deployed; and which countries are expected to provide the peacekeepers initially.

Ian McCartney: The African Union (AU) is playing a pro-active role in considering how to take forward the question of a possible international mission in Somalia. Uganda has already offered to contribute 1,000 to 1,500 personnel and we understand the AU is consulting other AU members who might contribute personnel. The Peace and Security council of the AU agreed on 8 January to reconvene shortly to finalise plans for the deployment of an international mission to Somalia working closely with Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Transitional Federal Government and other stakeholders. We are awaiting further details of their plans.

Iraq

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the political situation in Iraq.

Kim Howells: The political situation remains challenging, with sectarian violence threatening to undermine the Iraqi Government's efforts to achieve security and national reconciliation.
	I welcome Prime Minister Maliki's commitment to restoring security in Baghdad, which is a vital step in improving the situation in the rest of the country. I also welcome revised US plans to support the Iraqi government, security forces and the reconstruction effort. UK's continues to provide its full support.

Iraq

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government has held discussions with  (a) the Iraqi Government,  (b) the United States Administration and  (c) United Kingdom registered oil companies on the new production sharing agreements covering the Iraqi oil industry.

Kim Howells: We are not aware of any new production sharing agreements in Iraq, other than those that the Kurdish Regional Government has signed.
	A new national Hydrocarbons Law is in the process of being drafted in Iraq, which will determine what types of oil development contracts may be available in the future.

Bermuda Regiment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the establishment strength of the Bermuda Regiment is, broken down by  (a) full-time officers and soldiers, indicating those seconded from other regiments and units,  (b) part-time officers and soldiers and  (c) conscripts.

Geoff Hoon: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have contacted the Bermuda Regiment directly and the Regiment has provided the following information: The establishment strength is:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Total established strength 609 
			   
			 Officers full time (1)7 
			 Soldiers full time (2)21 
			   
			 Officers part time 22 
			 Soldiers part time 559 
			 (1 )1 x Loan Service Personnel.  (2 )2 x Loan Service Personnel. 
		
	
	There is no distinction made in the establishment between male conscripts and volunteers.

Iran

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the Iranian nuclear programme.

Kim Howells: Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes are of serious concern. Iran has continued its uranium enrichment related and reprocessing activities in defiance of the United Nations Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors. As successive reports by the IAEA's Director-General have made clear, Iran's co-operation with the IAEA remains inadequate. Iran has not yet chosen to engage seriously with the generous proposals made by the E3+3 (France, Germany, UK + China, Russia, US) for a negotiated solution.
	Iran's failure to address international concerns, and to take the steps that would enable negotiations to begin on a long-term solution, left the Security Council no choice but to adopt a further Resolution on 23 December 2006. This imposes targeted and proportionate measures against Iran's most sensitive nuclear and missile activities. The Director-General of the IAEA will report by 21 February on Iran's compliance. If Iran has not by then complied, the Security Council has agreed to impose further measures; the Council has also said that it will suspend the implementation of measures if and for as long as Iran suspends all uranium enrichment related and reprocessing activities.

Malawi

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response she has made to the decision by the Malawi High Court to refuse permission for Malawi's Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha to travel to the UK for medical treatment; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Justice Mclean Kamwambe of the High Court of Malawi ruled on 9 January that it would not be in the interest of justice to let Vice President Chilumpha travel to the UK. Chilumpha is currently on bail. Bail conditions are a matter for the Malawian courts. We are aware that there is the possibility of an appeal and continue to monitor the situation closely.

Overseas Territories

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Orders in Council relating to the law in overseas territories she plans to bring forward during 2007; and if she will specify the purpose and overseas territory concerned in each case.

Geoff Hoon: There is no annual calendar of planned Orders in Council for the British Overseas Territories. Orders in Council are made on a case-by-case basis as necessary, and appropriate, and usually after consultation with the Governments of the Overseas Territories. An example of this is the Anguilla Constitution (Amendment) Order 2007 which will amend the current Anguilla Constitution so as to give effect to police reforms requested by the Government of Anguilla. We intend to submit that Order in Council to the Privy Council at its meeting on 7 February 2007. Orders in Council implementing UN sanctions in the Overseas Territories are made pursuant to UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) and we expect a number of these over the coming months. For example, it is intended that an Order under the UN Act 1946 will be made at the 7 February meeting of the Privy Council to give effect in the Overseas Territories to the sanctions measures in UNSCR 1737 on Iran.

Pakistan

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with Pakistan on the laying of landmines on the Afghan border; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The subject was discussed when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Musharraf in Pakistan on 19 November 2006. The UK recognises the efforts being made by Pakistan to curb cross-border infiltration on the Afghan-Pakistani border and its commitment to continue this work. The UK position on the use of landmines is well known and we urge Pakistan to find solutions with less destructive long-term humanitarian consequences.
	Officials remain in regular contact with both the Afghan and Pakistan governments about Taliban activity on their mutual border and border management issues. As part of a common effort to counter terrorism, the Government are providing training and capacity building to the Pakistan authorities in their efforts to counter Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan. The Government are also considering how they might help both the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to manage border issues more effectively, in an effort to further reduce the Taliban threat.

Sri Lanka

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received on violence against the Tamil population in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: In December 2006,I met with representatives of the Tamil community together with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, for International Development, Gareth Thomas. I am due to represent my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary at a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) and concerned members of the Tamil community in the House on 17 January. In addition, I receive and reply to many written representations made by hon. Members on behalf of their constituents.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has to press the UN for action against peace-keeping troops stationed in southern Sudan who are alleged to have committed sexual offences.

Ian McCartney: The UK supports the actions of the UN Secretary-General to implement a 'zero-tolerance' approach to sexual exploitation and abuse in all UN Missions. The UN has launched an investigation into the recent allegations of rape and sexual abuse of children by peacekeepers in southern Sudan. The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peace Keeping Operations, Jane Holl Lute, intends that this will be a thorough exercise. A team of investigators is already working in Sudan. We await the team's conclusions.

Armed Forces Officers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many lieutenant commanders there are in the Royal Navy; how many there were in 1997-98; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The following table provides strength figures for both untrained and trained Naval personnel at the paid rank of Lieutenant Commander.
	
		
			   Number 
			 1 October 1997 2,170 
			 1 October 2006 2,060 
			  Notes: 1. These figures include UK regular Naval personnel, including nursing services, but exclude full-time reserve personnel and activated reservists. 2. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 3. The latest available figures are for October 2006 and to compare like with like the 1997-98 figure as been taken as at October 1997.

RAF Aircraft

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total number of aircraft in the RAF was in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006, broken down by aircraft type.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 9 January 2007
	The following table shows the number of RAF aircraft that were planned to be in service at the end of March of each year.
	
		
			   March 1997  March 2006 
			 Fighter(l) 356 (4)379 
			 Training(2) 473 (5)407 
			 Tanker and Transport (3)102 87 
			 Reconnaissance 19 (6)20 
			 Maritime Patrol Aircraft 26 (7)21 
			 Helicopters 167 (8)132 
			 (1) Increase in numbers from 1997 due to change in accounting methodology. (2) Includes trainer variants of Fighter aircraft. (3) Actual numbers were 100. The planned figure does not reflect the retirement of two BAe 125 aircraft. (4) Actual numbers were 372. The planned figure does not reflect the reduction of four Typhoon aircraft as a result of the contractual re-alignment of the Typhoon aircraft delivery schedule; a Tornado F3 that crashed in 2005; the reduction in two Harrier GR7s; one following a crash and one re-categorised as a test-bed aircraft by BAe systems. (5) Actual numbers were 395. The planned figure does not reflect the reduction of one Harrier as a result of the upgrade programme from Harrier T10 to T12, the fact that four Harrier T8s went out of service, the reduction of four Tucano aircraft and a reduction of three in overall glider numbers. (6) Actual numbers were 17. The Sentinel aircraft have not yet been delivered. (7) Actual numbers were 16. The planned figure does not reflect the fact that four Nimrod MR2 were retired for the MRA4 programme and for spares and one was retired as a result of the Medium Term Work Strands. (8) For JHC assets, figures shown are total operating fleet.

Service Personnel

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision there is for  (a) free and  (b) subsidised access to (i) television, (ii) satellite television, (iii) internet and (iv) telephones for personnel in each of the services when (A) on operations abroad and (B) in their home base; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence does not usually subsidise telephone, television or internet for Service personnel while serving in Great Britain. Televisions in communal areas on bases are free but these are usually provided by non-public funds. Televisions in private and Service provided accommodation have to be licensed and provided by the individuals (except in substitute single service accommodation). New single accommodation facilities are wired for satellite and internet but individuals pays their own subscriptions. Telephones in all accommodation are privately funded except in substitute single service accommodation where the line rental and any telephone equipment rental costs are reimbursed to the occupant.
	Service personnel overseas, either permanently based abroad or on operations, are entitled, where practical, to receive at no cost British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio and television. Internet and telephones are privately funded.
	While deployed on operations overseas the provision of welfare facilities is dependent on location. The MOD operational welfare package includes the provision of welfare telephones and 30 minutes of free calls per person per week to anywhere in the world. In addition free e-mail and internet access as well as British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) television and radio broadcasts may be provided. Furthermore, televisions, radios, DVD players, DVDs and video games may be available at no cost to the individual.
	Free internet and e-mail access during working hours is available at family centres to keep families in contact with their spouses when serving away from home. Some units also have funded an internet cafe where PCs, or access to WiFi, are non-publicly funded but usage has to be paid for by the individual.

Child Trust Funds

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost in pence of each pound paid out from  (a) the Child Trust Fund and  (b) child benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The figures published in Annex C of the HM Revenue and Customs Annual Report show the cost in pence of each pound of child benefit and Child Trust Fund. These figures are produced by commissioning analysis of departmental costs across the Department, under the tax and benefit categories that have been reported in the Annex. It is not possible to analyse any of these costs further without commissioning additional work across the Department. As a result a detailed answer to this question can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Child Trust Funds

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of fraud and error in the delivery of  (a) the child trust fund and  (b) child benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer on 25 July 2006 to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws),  Official Report, column 1344W.

Child Trust Funds

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of child trust fund accounts opened by the Government where the account may contravene the religious beliefs of the parents of the child; what steps he has taken to avoid such action; what alternative provision he has considered; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: Up to the end of September 2006, HMRC had opened a total of just over 0.5 million accounts for children. These are stakeholder accounts allocated on a rotational basis among 14 providers. HMRC does not have access to information on the religious beliefs of parents. Parents have 12 months from the receipt of their voucher to open an account of their choice and Shari'a and ethical accounts are available. They may also move any Government allocated account at any time. The CTF information booklet and website detail Shari'a compliant and ethical CTF accounts available.

Clostridium Difficile

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many death certificates mentioning clostridium difficile as an  (a) primary and  (b) secondary cause of death there have been in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 January 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many death certificates mentioning clostridium difficile as a (a) primary and (b) secondary cause of death there have been in each year since 1997. (115026)
	Special analyses of deaths involving Clostridium difficile are undertaken annually by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for England and Wales. These are published in Health Statistics Quarterly. The latest year for which such figures are available is 2004. Information on the numbers of deaths between 1999 and 2004 involving C. difficile was published in Health Statistics Quarterly 30 in May 2006.(1)
	This report presents data for the number of death certificates which (a) mention C.  difficile and (b) list C.  difficile as the underlying cause of death. The table below is extracted from this report:
	
		
			  Number of death certificates in England and Wales which (i) mentioned clostridium difficile( 1)  and (ii) listed Clostridium difficile as the underlying cause of death( 2)  in 1999 and 2001-04( 3) 
			   (i) Certificates mentioning C. difficile  (ii) Certificates where C. difficile was the underlying cause of death 
			 1999 975 531 
			 2001 1,214 691 
			 2002 1,428 756 
			 2003 1,788 958 
			 2004 2,247 1,245 
			 (1) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics (2005) Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 1999-2004. "Health Statistics Quarterly" 30, 56-60. (2) Excludes neonatal deaths. (3) Deaths registered in 1999, deaths occurring in 2001-04. 
		
	
	All deaths in England and Wales are coded by the ONS according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The Tenth revision (ICD-10) has been used by the ONS since 2001. In the Ninth revision of the ICD (ICD-9) there are no specific codes that would allow deaths mentioning C. diff to be easily identified. Identifying these deaths in ICD-9 would require extensive text searching of a very large number of death certificates. This could only be done at disproportionate cost. Data for 1997, 1998 and 2000 are therefore not available as ICD-9 was used in these years.
	Deaths registered in 1999 in England and Wales were coded to both ICD-9 and ICD-10 as part of a special study to compare the two ICD revisions, and have therefore been used to give an additional year of data on deaths involving C. diff.

Debt

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt is owed by  (a) low and  (b) lower middle income country governments to the UK through (i) the Export Credits Guarantee Department, including debts that have been rescheduled after Paris Club agreements and (ii) HM Treasury, broken down by country.

Edward Balls: The following table sets out ECGD claims balances, including debts that have been rescheduled in the Paris Club for low and lower middle income countries as at end November 2006. These debts arose from defaulted exported contracts that were insured or guaranteed by ECGD. There are no debts outstanding specifically to the Treasury.
	
		
			  Income category/market  Total (£ million) 
			  Low income  
			 Burma 23 
			 Congo, Democratic People's Republic of 89 
			 Cote D'Ivoire 18 
			 Guinea 4 
			 Kenya 20 
			 Korea, Democratic Peoples Republic of 6 
			 Liberia 22 
			 Pakistan 6 
			 Sierra Leone 3 
			 Somalia 27 
			 Sudan 578 
			 Togo 23 
			 Vietnam 9 
			 Zimbabwe 103 
			   
			  Lower middle income  
			 Angola 134 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 
			 Congo 188 
			 Cuba 130 
			 Ecuador 44 
			 Egypt 145 
			 Indonesia 765 
			 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 29 
			 Iraq 530 
			 Jordan 352 
			 Macedonia 2 
			 Morocco 5 
			 Peru 55 
			 Philippines 1 
			 Serbia and Montenegro 174

Departmental Staff

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's civil servants work full-time to support the two special advisers assigned to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury; and what the pay bands are of each such civil servant.

John Healey: As part of their responsibilities, four full-time staff provide support to both the special advisers to the Chef Secretary and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. One at range E, one at range D, one at range C and one at range B.

Employee Share Ownership

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's policy is on employee share ownership schemes; and what estimate he has made of how many companies operate such schemes.

Edward Balls: The Government are committed to supporting employee share ownership, which benefits companies, employees and the economy.
	The Government encourage employee share ownership through three tax-advantaged share schemes: Save-As-You-Earn (SAYE), the Share Incentive Plan (SIP), and the Company Share Option Plan (CSOP).
	The Government also introduced the Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI), designed to help small higher risk companies recruit and retain employees who have the skills that will help the company to grow and succeed. EMI as a share option incentive also facilitates employee share ownership.
	Details on all the tax-advantaged share schemes, including the National Statistics on their usage, can be found at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/shareschemes/
	The Government have not made any estimate regarding how many companies operate non-tax-advantaged employee share schemes.

Employment

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) men and  (b) women were (i) International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployed, (ii) economically inactive and wanting work and (iii) economically inactive and not wanting work in each year since 1997; and how many were (A) aged 50 to 54, (B) aged 55 to 59, (C) aged 60 to 64 and (D) aged over 65 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 January 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the numbers of men and women who are unemployed and economically inactive (i) wanting a job and (ii) not wanting a job by age in each year since 1997. (114626)
	The eight tables attached give estimates of the numbers of men and women resident in the United Kingdom who are unemployed and economically inactive by gender and age. This includes inactive people who (i) want a job and (ii) do not want a job for the three months ending June each year since 1997. Comparable estimates are not available for 1998 and 2000.
	Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 1997 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 2,013 17,009 2,560 14,449 
			 50-54 147 781 206 574 
			 55-59 121 1,080 227 853 
			 60-64 62 1,688 208 1,481 
			 65+ 12 8,344 80 8,264 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 1,248 6,199 1,017 5,181 
			 50-54 93 264 95 168 
			 55-59 84 373 110 263 
			 60-64 55 650 135 515 
			 65+ 9 3,397 80 3,317 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 765 10,811 1,543 9,268 
			 50-54 54 517 111 406 
			 55-59 37 707 117 590 
			 60-64 7 1,038 73 965 
			 65+ 3 4,947 (1)— 4,947 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 1999 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 1,695 17,108 2,458 14,650 
			 50-54 124 822 229 592 
			 55-59 98 1,075 225 850 
			 60-64 53 1,779 204 1,574 
			 65+ 10 8,364 64 8,300 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 1,034 6,315 1,006 5,309 
			 50-54 79 275 102 173 
			 55-59 66 386 119 267 
			 60-64 44 687 140 547 
			 65+ 9 3,434 64 3,370 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 661 10,793 1,453 9,340 
			 50-54 45 546 127 419 
			 55-59 32 689 105 583 
			 60-64 9 1,092 64 1,028 
			 65+ 1 4,930 (1)— 4,929 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2001 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 1,408 17,337 2,341 14,996 
			 50-54 93 808 218 590 
			 55-59 73 1,115 215 901 
			 60-64 40 1,749 180 1,569 
			 65+ 9 8,482 58 8,423 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 849 6,548 982 5,566 
			 50-54 61 268 101 167 
			 55-59 52 410 114 296 
			 60-64 35 686 118 568 
			 65+ 7 3,528 58 3,470 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 559 10,789 1,359 9,430 
			 50-54 32 540 116 423 
			 55-59 21 705 101 604 
			 60-64 5 1,063 62 1,002 
			 65+ 2 4,954 (1)— 4,954 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2002 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 1,456 17,365 2,402 14,963 
			 50-54 104 762 202 560 
			 55-59 83 1,148 248 900 
			 60-64 42 1,741 180 1,561 
			 65+ 13 8,491 72 8,419 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 877 6,617 1,020 5,597 
			 50-54 62 266 92 174 
			 55-59 56 420 132 287 
			 60-64 33 687 118 569 
			 65+ 10 3,555 71 3,484 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 578 10,748 1,382 9,366 
			 50-54 42 495 109 386 
			 55-59 26 728 116 612 
			 60-64 9 1,054 62 992 
			 65+ 3 4,936 (1)— 4,935 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2003 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 1,401 17,400 2,288 15,112 
			 50-54 98 699 190 509 
			 55-59 90 1,119 227 892 
			 60-64 28 1,707 179 1,529 
			 65+ 12 8,506 60 8,446 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 850 6,580 981 5,599 
			 50-54 58 239 89 150 
			 55-59 66 404 111 293 
			 60-64 23 632 106 526 
			 65+ 9 3,566 59 3,507 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 551 10,821 1,307 9,513 
			 50-54 40 460 100 359 
			 55-59 24 715 115 599 
			 60-64 5 1,075 73 1,002 
			 65+ 3 4,940 (1)— 4,939 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 6: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2004 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 1,368 17,519 2,137 15,381 
			 50-54 81 700 170 529 
			 55-59 82 1,161 204 957 
			 60-64 36 1,712 152 1,560 
			 65+ 10 8,534 57 8,477 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 803 6,737 917 5,820 
			 50-54 51 245 84 161 
			 55-59 58 421 98 323 
			 60-64 30 650 101 549 
			 65+ 8 3,605 57 3,549 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 565 10,782 1,220 9,562 
			 50-54 30 454 86 368 
			 55-59 24 741 107 634 
			 60-64 6 1,062 51 1,011 
			 65+ 2 4,928 (1)— 4,928 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 7: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2005 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 1,364 17,600 2,195 15,405 
			 50-54 87 666 171 495 
			 55-59 76 1,145 196 949 
			 60-64 31 1,764 140 1,624 
			 65+ 10 8,560 60 8,499 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 792 6,826 903 5,923 
			 50-54 50 224 72 151 
			 55-59 51 427 93 334 
			 60-64 25 673 88 585 
			 65+ 7 3,639 60 3,579 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 573 10,774 1,292 9,482 
			 50-54 37 442 99 343 
			 55-59 25 718 103 615 
			 60-64 5 1,091 53 1,039 
			 65+ 3 4,920 (1)— 4,920 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 8: Unemployed and inactive people by gender and age, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted—Three months ending June 2006 
			  Thousand 
			   Unemployed  Inactive 
			   Total  Total  Wants job  Does not want job 
			  All persons 
			 Total 16+ 1,604 17,466 2,206 15,261 
			 50-54 96 640 168 472 
			 55-59 84 1,122 202 920 
			 60-64 38 1,786 184 1,602 
			 65+ 14 8,548 62 8,486 
			  Men 
			 Total 16+ 924 6,787 954 5,833 
			 50-54 57 213 70 143 
			 55-59 53 416 99 317 
			 60-64 26 689 115 574 
			 65+ 11 3,635 62 3,573 
			  Women 
			 Total 16+ 680 10,679 1,251 9,428 
			 50-54 39 427 98 329 
			 55-59 31 706 103 603 
			 60-64 12 1,096 68 1,028 
			 65+ 3 4,913 (1)— 4,912 
			 (1) Estimates are taken from the LFS. Samples sizes are too small to provide reliable estimates.   Source:  ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Financial Services Review

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the timetable is for the Financial Service Authority's review of training and competence requirements within the financial services industry;
	(2)  whether the scope of the Financial Services Authority training and competence review will include an impact assessment of examination requirements introduced in relation to mortgage sales in October 2004.

Edward Balls: Following consultation, the FSA announced in March 2006 its intention that detailed rules on training and competence will not apply to those individuals in financial firms who deal only with wholesale customers.
	As part of its review of the training and competence regime, the FSA is now looking at the general role of examination requirements within the regime. The FSA will publish a consultation paper in February 2007.
	This will include an assessment of the costs and benefits of examinations as a means of assessing competence, as compared with other potential assessment methods. The consultation will include mortgage firms, but will not include a detailed analysis of the impact of specific examination requirements on particular sectors.
	The review will take account of the impact of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MIFID) due to be implemented in the UK in November 2007. The intention is that the removal of detailed training and competence rules for wholesale business, together with any further changes resulting from the wider review, will be made at the time MIFID is implemented.

Gender Equality

Julie Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ensure that  (a) equality and  (b) gender equality is built into the 2007 comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Guidance to Departments for the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review has emphasised the Government's commitment to its long-term goal of ensuring fairness and opportunity for all. This commitment will be reflected in both the allocation of resources and the Public Service Agreements that will be announced in the Spending Review White Paper. In addition, Departments' spending plans for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 will reflect existing and forthcoming legislation relating to race, age, disability and gender.

Global Schools Partnership

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional funding he has allocated to the Department for International Development's Global Schools Partnership programme for the 2006-07 financial year.

Edward Balls: In April 2006 the Secretary of State for International Development announced that funding to DFID's Global School Partnerships programme would more than double to £7.5 million over the next three years. The Department for International Development allocated this additional funding from its departmental budget.

HM Revenue and Customs

James McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff have left HM Revenue and Customs under  (a) Compulsory Early Retirement,  (b) Flexible Early Retirement and  (c) Approved Early Retirement since its formation in each of the last five years, broken down by grade.

Dawn Primarolo: The only early retirement scheme that has been in operation since the formation of HM Revenue and Customs is Approved Early Retirement. No staff have left under Compulsory Early Retirement or Flexible Early Retirement. The number of people who have retired under the scheme is 3187. The breakdown by grade is as follows
	
		
			  Grade  Number 
			 Administrative Assistant 236 
			 Assistant Officer 465 
			 Officer 1,003 
			 Higher Officer 695 
			 Senior Officer 399 
			 Grade 7 213 
			 Grade 6 138 
			 Senior Civil Service 38 
			 Total 3,187

HM Revenue and Customs

David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs and the Inland Revenue spent on outside business consultancy services in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs was introduced in April 2006 replacing the former separate departments of HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue. The relevant figures for expenditure on consultancy services, excluding the Valuation Office Agency, are as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 HM Customs and Excise 36,238 65,343 — 
			 Inland Revenue 58,928 70,465 — 
			 HM Revenue and Customs — — 105,981 
			 Total 95,166 135,808 105,981

HM Revenue and Customs

Iain Wright: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets he sets for the duration of telephone calls to HM Revenue and Customs contact centres; and how many redialled calls there were to each contact centre in each of the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not set any formal national targets for the duration of telephone calls to HM Revenue and Customs contact centres.
	For redialled calls data is not maintained in the format requested.

HM Revenue and Customs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many of the headcount in the HM Revenue and Customs regional review programme for the Outer London cluster used are in each of the six areas which make up the cluster; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made  (a) in respect of the HM Revenue and Customs regional review programme of the proportion of the headcount reduction and  (b) the savings which will result from the reduction by (i) 2008 and (ii) 2010 which will fall within each of the six areas which make up the Outer London cluster; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Although HMRC offices within the outer London have been grouped into six areas, for most planning purposes outer London is taken as a whole.
	The total number of HMRC staff working in outer London at 1 October 2006 was 4,374, with the numbers estimated to fall to 3,800 by 2008 and to 3,300 by 2010.
	The proposed rationalisation of the HMRC estate in outer London is estimated to create estate savings of approximately £5.7 million a year.

NI Surpluses

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether surpluses in the national insurance fund may be used for general government expenditure.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 423W.

Pensions

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the conclusions of Department for Work and Pensions Research Report 395: Self-employment and retirement regarding comparative perceptions of investment in bricks and mortar and in financial products and of their value as sources of income after retirement; what assessment his Department has made of the implications of these perceptions for pensions and pension reform; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: Research Report 395: 'Self-employment and retirement' was a small-scale qualitative research report with around 40 individuals to improve our understanding of the spectrum of views about planning and saving for retirement among (lower income) self-employed people, and what influences those views. My Department has not made any assessment of the conclusions of this report regarding general perceptions of investing in bricks and mortar as opposed to financial products, nor of it's implications for pensions and pension reform.

Royal Mail

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent using Royal Mail in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The Treasury's spending on postage was £46,000 in 2004-05 and £40,000 in 2005-06. For earlier years I refer to the answer given by the then Financial Secretary (Mr. Timms) to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 21 February 2005,  Official Report, column 75W. This spending is primarily the franking of letters and packages for delivery by the Royal Mail, and delivery of ministerial pouches, also by the Royal Mail.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) plays in Scotland; and what services the VOA provides to agencies in Scotland.

Dawn Primarolo: In Scotland the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), which is an Executive Agency of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) carries out property valuations and property related services as set out in section 10 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency publishes an autumn performance report.

Dawn Primarolo: No it does not.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many photographs are stored on the Valuation Office Agency's central database.

Dawn Primarolo: There are 25 million records for business and domestic properties there are 2.2 million photographs as at 20 November 2006.

Valuation Office Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 1731-2W, on departmental expenditure, what the reasons were for the change in the Valuation Office Agency's expenditure on vehicle maintenance between 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Dawn Primarolo: A factor for the higher maintenance cost for 2005-06 was the servicing cycle of a number of pool cars nearing the end of their 2-year lease and works required to meet the leasing obligations prior to hand back of the cars to the leasing company.

Antisocial Behaviour

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers are available to deal with parents of children who display antisocial behaviour in their local communities.

Tony McNulty: Where assessment indicates this is in the interests of preventing a repetition of antisocial behaviour by children and young people up to the age of 17, Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) can apply for a parenting order under section 26 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. A parenting order can also be made under section eight of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 on conviction of a juvenile or where an antisocial behaviour order, child safety order or parental compensation order is made. A parenting order requires the parent/s to attend a parenting programme and to comply with specific requirements in the interests of preventing a repetition of the kind of behaviour that led to the order being made. Breach of a parenting order is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and/or a community sentence.
	YOTs also have statutory power, under section 25 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, to enter into parenting contracts, with parents whose child has engaged in, or is likely to engage in, criminal conduct or antisocial behaviour. The contract would include specific ways in which the parents agree to exercise control over the child and to attend a parenting programme. If parents refuse to enter into a contract or fail to comply with one, the YOT may apply for a parenting order.
	Parenting orders can also be made under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 following prosecution of parents for their child's non-attendance at school. Section 19 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provides local authorities and schools with the power to enter into parenting contracts to help address children's behaviour and attendance at school. Section 20 of the Act provides that local authorities can also apply to the courts for a parenting order where a pupil has been excluded permanently or for more than one fixed period as a result of serious misbehaviour.
	These powers will be enhanced by the measures introduced in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 which from 1 September 2007 will: allow parenting contracts to be used as an earlier intervention (without the need for exclusion); enable Parenting Orders to be applied for by schools; and permit orders to be applied for where there has been serious misbehaviour but without the necessity of excluding the pupil.
	The Education and Inspections Act also introduces a new duty on schools to arrange reintegration interviews following a pupil's fixed period exclusion from school. This duty will apply to all fixed period exclusions of primary-aged pupils and those of more than five days of secondary-aged pupils. These interviews will enable the school to engage formally with the parent and so assist the pupil's reintegration and improvement in his or her behaviour. It will be mandatory for parents to attend these interviews and failure to do so will be a factor which a court may take into account in any future application for a parenting order. Parents will also be required to ensure that their child is not present in a public place, without reasonable justification, during school hours in the first five days of any exclusion from school. If parents fail to be responsible for their child's whereabouts during this time they will commit an offence. They may discharge liability for the offence by paying a penalty notice; however, failure to pay could result in prosecution for the original offence.
	The Police and Justice Act 2006 enables a wider range of agencies, including local authorities and registered social landlords to apply for parenting orders where children or young people have engaged in antisocial behaviour or, to enter into parenting contracts where they have engaged in, or are likely to engage in, criminal conduct or antisocial behaviour. The Police and Justice Act 2006 will be commenced later this year.
	Parental Compensation Order (PCO) powers were commenced in 10 local authority areas on 20 July. The PCO is a civil order designed to reinforce the responsibilities of parents of children under the age of 10. It requires parents to provide compensation if a child under 10 takes or damages property in the course of anti-social behaviour or behaviour which, if he were over 10, would have constituted an offence, and where it would be desirable in the interests of prevention a repetition of the behaviour in question. Compensation is limited to £5,000. The PCO is made in the adult magistrates court on application by the local authority. The court has the same powers to enforce payment as it does for fines.

Data Protection

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on data-sharing within and across the public sector; and what safeguards are being considered to prevent misuse of data and to ensure that the privacy of the individual is not compromised.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's information sharing vision statement, published on 13 September 2006, set out its commitment to share information to expand opportunities for the most disadvantaged, fight crime and provide better public services for citizens and business, and in other instances where it is in the public interest. A copy of the statement may be found in the House Library.
	The safeguards to protect the privacy of the individual are provided by the Data Protection Act, the Human Rights Act and the law relating to breach of confidence, which balance individuals' privacy rights with the need for organisations to use personal information for legitimate purposes.
	The Government have consulted on a possible amendment to the Data Protection Act to increase the penalties for those who deliberately and wilfully misuse personal data. The consultation ended on 31 October and the Government's response will be published in due course.

Disorder Penalty Notices

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans he has to extend the use of penalty notices for disorder amongst 10 to 15-year-olds in areas beyond the six pilot areas;
	(2)  how many penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) have been issued to 10 to 15-year-olds in each of the six pilot police force areas in respect of  (a) behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to others or using threatening words of behaviour,  (b) drunk and disorderly behaviour in a public place,  (c) destroying or damaging property up to the value of £500,  (d) retail theft under £200,  (e) sale of alcohol to a person under 18 years of age,  (f) selling alcohol to a drunken person,  (g) breach of a fireworks curfew,  (h) being drunk in a highway or consuming alcohol in a designated place and  (i) other offences; and how many such PNDs were (i) paid within 21 days, (ii) contested in court and (iii) registered as fines against the parent of the recipient.

Vernon Coaker: The evaluation of the pilots is currently under way. The final evaluation report will contain full details about the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued during the pilots. No decisions about extending the pilot areas will be taken until the results of the evaluation have been considered.

Disorder Penalty Notices

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people aged  (a) 16-17,  (b) 18 to 24 and  (c) 25 years and above who have received a penalty notice for disorder committed a further offence within a period of 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: The Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not hold information on the proportion of people who, having received a penalty notice for disorder, committed a further offence within a period of 12 months. Data are not collected to that level of detail.

Mini-motorbikes

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mini-motorbikes have been  (a) seized and  (b) crushed by local authorities since 1 August 2006, broken down by police authority; how many warnings have been issued to the riders of mini-motorbikes since 1 August broken down by policy authority; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not collect this information centrally.

Parliamentary Questions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were not answered wholly or in part on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Tony McNulty: The information is not held in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. However, the information regarding individually answered parliamentary questions is a matter of public record and can be located within the  Official Report.

Parliamentary Questions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many written parliamentary questions to his Department in the 2005-06 session were answered with a reply that it had not been possible to reply before prorogation, or similar wording.

Tony McNulty: The Department answered 64 questions with the reply
	"It has not been possible to reply before prorogation."
	Each of these questions was tabled on either 3, 6 or 7 of November.

PNDs

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to identify  (a) the recipients of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) and  (b) repeat offenders in receipt of PNDs.

Vernon Coaker: The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme was set up under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Under the scheme, the police may issue a fixed penalty notice of either £50 or £80 for a range of minor disorder offences. Details of pnd recipients are initially recorded on a database kept by the Central Ticket Office of an individual police force. Each force is responsible for maintaining their own local database; there is currently no national system for recording pnds. However the Government do intend to establish a single national penalty notice processing system for all pnds and road traffic tickets by September 2009.
	Where the pnd is issued for a recordable offence, a record of the offender is also created on the Police National Computer (PNC) within 24 hours and updated within seven days: the PNC is available to officers 24 hours a day. Repeat offenders should be identified using PNC if they have committed recordable offences. For all other offences, while the current local database could also be interrogated to check if a pnd has already been issued, it is normally only available during office hours and to those officers local to the force.
	A list of all pnd offences is given in Table one, showing which are recordable.

Police

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the gross revenue expenditure was by Devon and Cornwall police authority in each year since 1992; and what the average expenditure was for all police authorities in England and Wales in each year.

Tony McNulty: The information requested where available is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Gross revenue expenditure 1991-92 to 2005-06 
			  £ million 
			   Devon and Cornwall  Gross average expenditure England and Wales 
			 1995-96 (1,2) 147,147,000 150,560,976 
			 1996-97 154,430,000 160,630,186 
			 1997-98 160,181,000 166,828,249 
			 1998-99 177,528,000 173,255,348 
			 1999-2000 180,189,000 181,402,162 
			 2000-01 187,709,000 193,255,441 
			 2001-02 208,734,000 208,624,186 
			 2002-03 226,575,000 218,568,813 
			 2003-04 231,085,000 236,697,395 
			 2004-05 264,664,000 267,763,069 
			 2005-06 (3) 265,734,000 272,717,651 
			 2006-07 (3) 269,011,000 286,918,348 
			 (1) Figures before 1995-96 were not reliable due to changes in police authority structures (2 )Essex not included (3 )Figures are estimates  Source:  Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Probation Service Recidivism

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reconviction rates for offenders placed under the supervison of the Probation Service were as measured over a period of two years from the start of the order.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The most recent re-offending information for adults living in England and Wales were published in November 2006 as: 'Re-offending of Adults: results from the 2003 cohort'. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/06. The report is available on line at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb2006.pdf
	The two year re-offending rate for the 2003 cohort was 57.6 per cent. Among offenders discharged from custody the re-offending rate was 66 per cent. and for offenders commencing a community sentence the re-offending rate was 53.4 per cent.

Single Non-emergency Phone Number

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the single non-emergency telephone number to be introduced in London; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The outcome of the evaluation and assessment of the introduction of the single non-emergency number, 101, in the initial five wave one areas, to be completed by the autumn of 2007, will inform plans for future development of the service.

Farepak

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress on his Department's inquiry into the collapse of Farepak; and when he expects the inquiry to be completed.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 11 January 2007
	The investigation is progressing satisfactorily. It will be completed as soon as possible consistent with the need for a thorough inquiry into the matters of concern. As you know, as soon as administrators were appointed for Farepak the Secretary of State announced an immediate investigation instead of waiting months for the administrators to report so that the facts could be established as soon as possible as a basis for further action.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library copies of all papers relating to the industrial disease claim of Mr. Stephen Todd of Bassetlaw constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: It would be inappropriate to place the requested papers in the Libraries of the House. The claim file is confidential and may contain personal data and material that is subject to Legal Professional Privilege.

Personal Debt

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of personal insolvency were reported in the greater London area in each year since 2000, broken down by London borough.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table records the numbers of individual bankruptcy orders in the London Region classified according to Official Receivers' Office from 1999-2000 to 2005-06. Figures are not separately available for each London borough.
	
		
			  Numbers of bankruptcy orders recorded in the London Official Receivers offices. 1999-2000 to 2005-06 ( 1) 
			  Financial year totals  Bankruptcy Orders 
			 1999-2000 1,290 
			 2000-01 1,298 
			 2001-02 1,421 
			 2002-03 1,562 
			 2003-04 2,132 
			 2004-05(1) 4,910 
			 2005-06(1) 6,699 
			 (1) From 2004-05 Croydon Official Receiver's Office is classified under London Region.

Post Office Closures

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether following his December statement post offices have been identified for closure; and what strategy is in place for recommending post offices for closure.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No decisions have been made on individual closures in any particular area of the UK.
	Post Office will develop specific proposals for post office closures and other changes to service provision after the national public consultation has ended and Government have reached their final decisions on its future strategy for the post office network.

Post Office Funding

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the £1.7 billion for the Post Office Network announced on 14 December 2006 will be spent, broken down by main budget heading.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government intend to provide up to £1.7 billion, subject to state aid clearance, between now and 2011 in support of the Post Office network.
	A detailed breakdown of our funding is not yet available and will be dependant, following the conclusion of Government's national consultation, on how Post Office Ltd. intends to implement the necessary restructuring of the network to meet the framework set by Government's proposals.

Post Office Network

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of possible post office closures in  (a) Morecambe and Lunesdale and  (b) Lancashire which are likely to result from network reduction plans.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No decisions have been made on individual closures in any particular area of the UK.
	Post Office Limited will develop specific proposals for post office closures and other changes to service provision after the national public consultation has ended and Government have reached their final decisions on their future strategy for the post office network.

Supermarkets

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to the Competition Commission inquiry into supermarket procedures; and when the inquiry is expected to be completed.

Ian McCartney: Competition in the grocery sector is a matter for the independent competition authorities and not the DTI. The effect of the Enterprise Act 2002 was to remove Ministers from decisions on competition issues. Since the Act came into force in 2004, Ministers have had no formal role in the supermarket question and therefore have not made representations to the Competition commission (CC).
	The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has asked the CC to investigate if any features of this market prevent, restrict or distort competition and if so, what action might be taken to remedy these. The CC has a statutory requirement to report within two years of a reference to them by the OFT. It is required to publish its final report by 8 May 2008, but is aiming to do so by October 2007. The current timetable for the inquiry can be found at
	www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2006/grocery/core_timetable.htm

UDM and Vendside Agreement

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the two meetings about the UDM/Vendside agreement between his Department and AMS Law and Moss Solicitors in 1998 and 1999.

Malcolm Wicks: Minutes of those meetings are not readily available. In any case, it is likely to be inappropriate to place the requested papers in the Libraries of the House. The minutes may be confidential and may contain personal data and material that is subject to Legal Professional Privilege.

World Trade Organisation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings he has had on the possible accession to the World Trade Organisation of  (a) Ukraine and  (b) the Russian Federation.

Ian McCartney: I am replying as the Minister responsible for issues concerning WTO accession negotiations. On 14 September 2006 I met Deputy Minister Maxim Medvedkov, Ministry of Economic Development and Russia's chief negotiator on WTO accession, to discuss Russia's progress towards their accession to the WTO. In addition, during 2006 DTI Ministers had a number of contacts with officials, UK business, EU ministerial colleagues and other contacts at which issues related to Russian or Ukrainian WTO accession would have been raised together with a range of other issues relevant to the business of the Department.

Private Dining Facilities

John Mann: To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether there are  (a) exceptions and  (b) exemptions to clauses 6.1 and 6.2 of the contract for hiring private dining facilities in the Commons.

Nick Harvey: There are no agreed exceptions or exemptions to clause 6.1, which requires any publicity, invitation, circular, literature or announcement in connection with a function to prominently bear the event sponsor's name, and for such material to be submitted to the banqueting office for approval prior to publication. It is the responsibility of the sponsor to ensure compliance with this requirement. Clause 6.2 requires any media interest in the event to be notified in writing to the Banqueting Office. In practice inquiries from the media now tend to come by telephone and the Banqueting Office does not insist on written notification from the media. Such inquiries are referred to the event organiser.

Digital Television

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures her Department has put in place  (a) to identify and  (b) to offer help under the targetted assistance scheme for digital switchover to (i) people with severe disabilities who do not claim disability benefit, (ii) people with mental health problems, (iii) people with learning disabilities, (iv) cancer patients, (v) people with autism, (vi) certified blind and partially sighted people and (vii) people under the age of 75 who have acquired mobility problems after the age of 65.

Shaun Woodward: holding answer 8 January 2007
	The Digital Switchover Help Scheme will cover:
	all households with one person aged 75 or over
	all households with one person with a significant disability in the relevant qualification period. This will be defined as being eligible for the following social security benefits: disability living allowance (including where the qualifying person is a child), attendance allowance, constant attendance allowance (CAA) under the industrial injuries disablement benefit scheme and CAA and war pensioners mobility supplement under the pre-2005 war pensions scheme.
	all households where one person is registered severely sight impaired/blind or where one person is registered sight impaired/partially sighted.
	The definition of household will follow the DWP definition of a "benefit unit": a couple and any dependent children (aged under 16 or in full time education). Non dependent adults will be able to claim assistance in their own right.
	The Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill would enable the scheme operator to target eligible individuals making it easier for them to claim and so help to increase take-up. The scheme will be supported by targeted communications and will benefit from more generic switchover-related communications which Digital UK is producing and which will increase as switchover nears.
	Digital UK will ensure, as part of its communications activities, that those hard to reach groups; particularly those who do not qualify for support from the Help Scheme, have adequate information available to support them through switchover.

Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 255W, on Flags, for what reasons the St. George's Cross is not flown on Government buildings with two or more flag poles on days other than 23rd April.

David Lammy: The St. George's Cross is flown on Government buildings with two or more flag poles on 23 April alongside the Union Flag to mark St. George's day.

Licensing Act

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has received the final report from the Licensing Fees Review Panel; and when the report will be published.

Shaun Woodward: DCMS received the final report of the Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel on 12 December 2006. The Panel's conclusions and recommendations are being considered and assessed. Copies of the report will be placed in the Libraries of the House shortly.

Licensing Act

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department received the final report of the Independent Fees Review Panel on the Licensing Act 2003 and related legislation; when she expects to publish its findings; when her Department plans to respond to these findings; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Independent Fees Review Panel's final report was received by DCMS on 12 December. We are currently making an assessment of all their conclusions and recommendations and we will place copies of the report in the Libraries of the House shortly. Should any changes to the fees regime and related issues be required, there will be a full public consultation in order to help inform future policy.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many parliamentary questions were tabled to her Department in 2006, broken down by  (a) ordinary written and  (b) named day; what percentage of ordinary written questions were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage of named day questions were answered by the specified date.

David Lammy: 2,173 written parliamentary questions were tabled to the Department in 2006. 1,731 were ordinary written and 442 were named day.
	75.1 per cent. (1,300) ordinary written questions were answered within 10 working days and, 71.3 per cent. (315) named day questions were answered by the specific date.
	Information derived from the DCMS parliamentary questions database.
	DCMS aim to ensure that Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the named day and to endeavour to answer ordinary written questions within a working week of being tabled. Unfortunately, this is not always possible but this Department makes every effort to achieve these timescales.

Statistics

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the process is for deciding the date of publication of statistics prepared by or relating to the Department; and who is involved in that process.

David Lammy: The National Statistics Code of Practice (2002)—which serves as a model for all public sector statistical work—established the principle that 'final responsibility for the content, format and timing of release of National Statistics' rests with the Head of Profession for Statistics in each department. In reaching their decisions, Heads of Profession take into consideration the detailed procedural guidance given in the 'National Statistics Protocol on Release Practices'.
	Copies of the Code and its 12 supporting Protocols are available in the Library of the House and can also be accessed using the following address:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/default.asp

Statistics

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by her Department has been changed; what the  (a) subject of the statistics,  (b) (i) the original and (ii) final date of publication and (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

David Lammy: In accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice (2002), the Head of Profession for Statistics in DCMS has sole responsibility for determining, pre-announcing and, if necessary, altering the dates of publication of 'National Statistics' and other relevant statistics produced by the Department.
	Any decision to change a pre-announced publication date will be based on a range of professional considerations such as the completeness of the underlying data, their fitness for purpose, the need for consistency and coherence, the need to promote widespread access and informed debate, or any earlier accidental or wrongful release. In reaching their decision, the Head of Profession will also take into consideration the detailed procedural guidance given in the 'National Statistics Protocol on Release Practices'. The Code and its 12 supporting Protocols are available in the Library of the House, and can also be accessed using the following address:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/default.asp
	This Department has no historical record of the occasions on which the Head of Profession changed a pre-announced publication date in the last five years.

Tourism

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the economic impact of the number of foreign tourists visiting the UK during the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: During the calendar year 2005 (the last full year for which consolidated figures are available from the Office of National Statistics's International Passenger Survey), 30 million inbound visitors to the UK spent £14.2 billion in this country. Visitor numbers and spending for that year were up by 8 per cent. and 9 per cent. respectively, when compared to 2004.
	The latest available estimates from the survey are for the three months to November 2006. During this time 7.9 million inbound visitors spent £3.9 billion—both figures being significant increases on the 2005 figures for the same quarter.
	Since 2004, tourism's share of the national economy has been expressed in Gross Value Added, using Tourism Satellite Accounting methodology. The latest available figures for tourism's share of the total UK economy are for the calendar year 2003. For that year, domestic and inbound tourism receipts totalled £74.2 billion, which was 3.4 per cent. of the UK economy—of which, inbound tourism receipts at £11.9 billion represented 0.55 per cent.

Trooping the Colour

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 263W, on Trooping the Colour, for what reasons the flags of Her Majesty's Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories will not be displayed alongside the flags of the Commonwealth at the Trooping of the Colour; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: During Trooping the Colour, only flags of Commonwealth countries are flown in Horse Guards Road. As explained in the answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 263W, The Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are not member states of the Commonwealth so their flags are not flown.

UEFA Cup

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will make representations to the Football Association to support Gibraltar's request to enter a team in the UEFA Cup.

Richard Caborn: I have no current plans to make any representations to the FA as this is a matter between the Union of European Football Association's (UEFA) and Gibraltar Football Association (GFA). I understand a final decision on GFA's request is due to be agreed at the UEFA Ordinary Congress in Dusseldorf on 25 and 26 January 2007.

Union Flag

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 263W, on the Union Flag, for what reasons the Union Flag is not flown on days other than those noted in the Answer.

David Lammy: The Union Flag is flown on Government buildings to mark specific national events including Remembrance day, Europe day, St. George's day, Her Majesty's Accession and Wedding day and birthdays of members of the royal family undertaking official duties.
	There are currently no plans to change this.

"Making Good Progress" Document

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the future of the national curriculum assessments that take place at the end of key stages;
	(2)  whether the single level tests envisaged by the "Making Good Progress" consultation document are intended to  (a) replace or  (b) run alongside existing multi-level tests;
	(3)  if he will set out the  (a) purpose,  (b) timetable and  (c) other arrangements for the pilot announced in the "Making Good Progress" consultation document; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  who will carry out the evaluation of the conclusions of the pilot announced in the "Making Good Progress" consultation document;
	(5)  if he will ensure that the evaluation of the conclusions of the pilot announced in the "Making Good Progress" consultation document uses a methodology of a standard equivalent to that used in experimental research, including the use of control groups.

Jim Knight: The consultation document "Making Good Progress" was published on 8 January 2007 and the consultation runs until 2 April 2007. It proposes a pilot to run for two years in a small number of local authorities (LAs). In some schools in those LAs, single-level 'tests for progress' would be piloted, running alongside existing multi-level tests so that the results could be calibrated for consistency. Pupils in the pilot would therefore take both kinds of test. The document suggests that in-year tests might ultimately replace end of key stage arrangements, but this would depend on the experience of the pilot and is not an early prospect. Arrangements for the pilot, including the terms of reference for external evaluation, will be announced after the end of the consultation. The document makes clear that any changes trialled in the pilot, or adopted subsequently, would not be allowed to compromise the accountability delivered by the framework of tests, targets and performance tables which have helped to drive up standards so sharply over the past decade. The current national curriculum assessment arrangements at the end of key stages 1, 2 and 3 will continue to be an important part of our drive to raise standards in schools.

Building Schools for the Future

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the criteria are for schools' eligibility for Building Schools for the Future funding;
	(2)  how many  (a) community schools,  (b) voluntary aided schools,  (c) voluntary controlled schools and  (d) foundation schools have been granted Building Schools for the Future funding; and how many of these are (i) special schools, (ii) specialist schools and (iii) grammar schools.

Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future (BSF) aims to rebuild or refurbish all secondary schools in England in 15 waves of investment which started in 2005-06. Prioritisation is on the educational and social needs of geographical groupings of schools proposed by authorities. The needs of all maintained schools of all types in these areas must be considered by authorities when developing details of their plans. In general, we would not expect school buildings built less than 15 years ago to receive significant investment. Full details of the criteria were published in November 2004 in "BSF Prioritisation and Forward Planning Information", a copy of which is available in the House Library. Six local authority BSF projects have now reached financial closure. This means that they been formally granted BSF funding to for the schools in their projects. Other local authority BSF projects are finalising their school estate plans. The six projects at financial close are Bradford, Bristol, Lancashire, Manchester, and the London boroughs of Lambeth and Greenwich. In their projects there are in total:
	 (a) 32 are community schools, of which 10 are special schools; two are pupil referral units and one a sixth form college
	 (b) Four are voluntary aided schools;
	 (c) None are voluntary controlled schools;
	 (d) None are foundation schools.
	Of the above, 18 are specialist schools and one is a grammar school
	A limited amount of BSF funding was also made available to pathfinder and wave one authorities in 2004-05 and 2005-06 for 'quick win' projects. These were intended to help develop the early elements of BSF prior to the first formal phase of investment in 2005-06. Of the schools which received this funding:
	12 are community schools, including four community special schools;
	One is a voluntary controlled school;
	Two are foundation schools.
	One was a community school at the time it received the funding but is now an Academy;
	11 are specialist schools;
	None are grammar schools.

Children's Centres

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on his decision not to conduct a regulatory impact assessment of children's centres.

Beverley Hughes: I have received no representations related to the decision not to conduct a separate regulatory impact assessment (RIA) for Sure Start Children's Centres. A full RIA was completed for the Childcare Act that included consideration of the statutory requirement to secure proactive, accessible and integrated services for under fives—the duty that underpins the delivery of high quality services through children's centres.

Children's Rights Survey

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that as many children and young people as possible take part in his Department's online children's rights survey.

Jim Knight: The Department has commissioned a consortium of children organisations to ensure that as many children and young people as possible take part in his Department's online children's rights survey. The consortium consists of the Children's Rights Alliance for England, the National Children's Bureau, UNICEF UK and Save the Children (England).
	The survey has featured on children and young people websites including the Office of Children's Commissioner, Children's Rights Alliance for England, National Children's Bureau, Save the Children, UNICEF UK, Teen issues, School Councils UK, National Deaf Children's Society, Participation Works, the Scout Association, Girlguiding UK and "The Site". It has also been featured on a range of Government sponsored websites including DirectGov Young People, Connexions Direct and Every Child Matters.
	The survey has been promoted by relevant networks such as the UK Youth Parliament; the Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and citizenship network at the National Children's Bureau; the Participation Workers Network England; the Children's Rights Officers and Advocates; 380 member organisations of the Children's Rights Alliance for England; and to members of the international Children's Rights Information Network. It has also featured in Children Now and Young People Now magazines.

Competition Managers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 12 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1006W, on competition managers, what targets have been set for competition managers to increase the number of  (a) sporting competitions,  (b) teams competing and  (c) matches played for each age group and sport.

Jim Knight: Competition Managers role is to improve the quality and quantity of school competitions for young people aged between five and 16. In the first year of activity, the pilot wave of 20 Competition Managers created 690 new competitions involving nearly 40,000 young people. We are currently reviewing their impact with a view to agreeing specific targets for the next phase of Competition Managers.

Competition Managers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1006W, on competition managers, how many competition managers and senior competition managers have been employed on salaries above the recommended salary ranges for their grades; and by how much their salaries exceeded the recommended level.

Jim Knight: This information is not held centrally. Grants, based on the number of competition managers and senior competition managers allocated to the area, are passed to the host organisation, and it is for them to decide how the level of salary to offer.

Court Information

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his Department's policy is on the provision to courts of information regarding the inclusion on list  (a) 98 and  (b) 99 of people giving evidence.

Jim Knight: 'List 98' is not a list maintained by the Department for Education and Skills. Some educational establishments and authorities have introduced and maintained such lists under local arrangements, but they are not a requirement under education or employment law.
	Requests from courts for information about people giving evidence who are on List 99 are not received routinely. Any request or order by a court, or for the purpose of court proceedings, would be considered in accordance with the law on a case by case basis.

Drug Testing

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which secondary schools have practised random drug testing; over what periods of time such testing has been carried out in each case; and what the GCSE results were for each such school in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Schools do not have to inform the Department if they wish to introduce random drug testing for pupils. However, we are aware of three maintained schools which have tested pupils for drugs: The Abbey School, Kent, The National School, Nottinghamshire, and Colne Community School, Essex. We understand that the Abbey School was the first to introduce drug testing in the spring term of 2005.
	The proportion of 15-year-olds achieving 5+A*-C over the last five years, for which data is available, are as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 The Abbey School, Faversham, Kent 26 26 32 25 40 
			 Colne Community School, Brightlingsea, Essex 50 55 62 59 50 
			 The National School, Huknall, Nottinghamshire. 61 56 53 57 60

Excluded Pupils

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that children who are permanently excluded from schools in Northamptonshire receive alternative educational provision.

Jim Knight: From September 2007, the Education and Inspections Act will require all permanently excluded pupils to be provided with a full time education from the sixth day of exclusion. Local authorities will have a duty to make arrangements for these children to receive suitable alternative education.

Foreign Language Teaching

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in the teaching of foreign languages in primary schools.

Jim Knight: According to the latest Headspace survey, conducted by Education Guardian and EdComs, 71 per cent. of all English primary schools are either delivering or planning to deliver language learning programmes—a significant increase since 2002 when only 20 per cent. of primary schools were offering opportunities to learn languages. The Department, over the two financial years 2006-08, will have distributed £49.5 millions amongst all local authorities through the Standards Fund to support language learning programmes.
	To build workforce capacity in English primary schools, the Department funds the cost of initial teacher training for new primary teachers with a languages specialism in French, Spanish, German, Italian or Portuguese. To date 2,000 new teachers with a language specialism have been trained.
	In addition, we are funding training for existing primary teachers with language skills so that they too can support language learning programmes in their schools.
	Finally, we have published the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages which offers a practical reference tool for planning, teaching and monitoring the learning process.

French IGCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will approve the International General Certificate of Secondary Education in French for teaching in maintained schools.

Jim Knight: Unlike the GCSE, International GCSEs, including French, have been designed primarily as a qualification for overseas candidates and are not aligned to the national curriculum programmes of study at Key Stage 4. They have not, therefore, been approved by the Secretary of State under Section 96 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 as an external qualification for use with pupils in maintained secondary schools. The GCSE remains the principal means of assessing pupil attainment at the end of compulsory schooling in maintained schools; there are no current plans to change this. The Department recently launched an e- consultation on iGCSEs to seek the views of the wider community on the issues for iGCSEs in the maintained sector. The consultation will run until 23 February 2007. The consultation can be accessed at: www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations.

GCSEs

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils in maintained schools were entered for a GCSE in both history and geography in each year since 1996.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number and percentage of 15-year-old pupils(1) attempting a GCSE at both geography and history in each year since 1996.
	
		
			  15-year-old pupils( 1)  attempting GCSE geography and history 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 1996 67,834 12.2 
			 1997 64,036 11.6 
			 1998 51,226 9.4 
			 1999 49,408 8.1 
			 2000 47,179 7.8 
			 2001 49,181 7.9 
			 2002 47,461 7.6 
			 2003 46,362 7.4 
			 2004 49,195 7.6 
			 2005 51,191 8.0 
			 2006(2) 54,528 8.4 
			 (1) Pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August. (2) Data for 2006 are provisional. Data for ail other years are final.

Key Stage 3

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of 14-year-olds achieved  (a) level 5 and  (b) level 6 at Key Stage 3 in teacher assessments for non-core subjects in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table gives the percentage of pupils achieving level 5 and level 6 in each of the KS3 non-core teacher assessments since 1997. The 2006 data are not yet available.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving level 5 
			   Design and technology  ICT  History  Geography  Modern foreign languages  Art  Music  Physical education 
			 1997 33 32 23 29 21 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 35 34 29 29 22 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999 35 34 29 30 19 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000 37 36 32 32 26 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001 38 37 33 32 28 36 38 40 
			 2002 39 39 33 33 29 37 40 43 
			 2003 40 41 34 34 30 39 42 44 
			 2004 41 43 35 35 30 39 43 45 
			 2005 42 45 36 36 31 41 44 47 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving level 6 
			   Design and Technology  ICT  History  Geography  Modern foreign languages  Art  Music  Physical education 
			 1997 19 15 14 20 6 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 20 18 20 20 7 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999 17 17 17 18 5 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000 22 21 21 22 9 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001 23 21 22 22 14 27 18 22 
			 2002 23 22 22 22 15 26 18 23 
			 2003 24 21 23 23 15 26 19 23 
			 2004 24 20 23 24 16 26 19 23 
			 2005 24 20 24 24 17 25 19 24

Listed School Premises

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the policy of his Department is on the demolition of listed school premises where a school is rebuilt under  (a) Building Schools for the Future and  (b) the primary capital programme;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure the preservation of listed school premises.

Jim Knight: We are committed to improving school buildings so that they are suitable for teaching and learning in the 21(st) century. In all of our capital programmes, including Building Schools for the Future and the primary capital programme, the Department promotes good design in all its forms, whether in new buildings or adaptations of old buildings.
	The listing of buildings is the responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and English Heritage, while the development control system that protects them is the responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Decisions under these arrangements relating to listed school buildings are a local matter.
	The Department for Education and Skills supports the protection these arrangements give to listed schools. We believe that existing buildings of historic or architectural interest, particularly if listed, should be retained for school use where they can meet modern expectations for teaching and learning. Where this is not possible, the Department shares English Heritage's view that alternative use should be found rather than the building demolished.
	The Department collaborated recently with English Heritage on a publication The Future of Historic Buildings' which seeks to increase understanding about dealing with historic school buildings in the light of our long-term school building programme.

National Curriculum

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to make personal, social and health education a statutory part of the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There are no plans to make personal, social and health education (PSHE) statutory. Many aspects of PSHE—sex education, drug education and careers education—already have a statutory basis within the curriculum. In addition, there are a number of requirements on schools which support PSHE including the need for policies on bullying, promoting race equality and child protection.
	The Department's priority is to improve the effectiveness of what is taught by providing clear guidance, supporting high quality continuing professional development for teachers, identifying and disseminating good practice, and helping schools to meet the standards for PSHE required by the national healthy schools programme.

Parents in Prison

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local authorities in England have included references to children with a parent in prison in their current children and young people plans.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 15 January 2007
	Recent research undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research found that approximately 3 per cent. of Children and Young People's Plans, from a representative sample of 75 local authorities, make specific reference to children with a parent in prison.

Renewable Energy: Schools

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what incentives there are for schools to incorporate micro generation technology and solar thermal panels when spending the additional capital resources announced in the pre-Budget report.

Jim Knight: The Department has adopted 'BREEAM Schools', an adaptation of an internationally recognised environmental assessment method. It is a specific requirement that new school buildings and refurbishment projects above a threshold achieve a BREEAM rating of 'very good' or better. This provides a strong incentive for design teams to consider options to reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency measures and renewable energy systems.
	In addition, grant funding for micro-generation technologies, including solar thermal panels, is available to schools via the DTI's Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Rural Schools

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in (i) Cornwall and (ii) England are located in rural areas.

Jim Knight: The available information for Cornwall and England is given in the table.
	For similar information on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland I refer the hon. Member to the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Department for Education.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools( 1) : Number and percentage of schools by urban/rural classification( 2,3) —As at January 2006 
			   Cornwall local authority area 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			   Rural( 4)  Urban( 5)  Total  Rural( 4)  Urban( 5)  Total 
			 Number of schools 169 70 239 12 19 31 
			 Percentage of schools 70.7 29.3 100.0 38.7 61.3 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			   England 
			   Primary  Secondary 
			   Rural( 4)  Urban( 5)  Total  Rural( 4)  Urban( 5)  Total 
			 Number of schools 5,251 12,253 17,504 524 2,843 3,367 
			 Percentage of schools 30.0 70.0 100.0 15.6 84.4 100.0 
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Urban/rural classification for schools is based on the school's current postcode.  (3) Schools have been classified as being in either an urban or rural area by matching their school postcode to the Rural and Urban Area Classification 2004 indicator held within the May 2006 National Statistics Postcode Directory. Areas are classified as urban or rural at the Census Output Area (COA) level, and postcodes are classified according to the status of the COA in which they are located.  (4) Includes schools in the following classifications: hamlet and isolated dwelling (sparse and less sparse), town and fringe (sparse and less sparse), village (sparse and less sparse).  (5) Includes schools in Urban = 10k (sparse and less sparse) classifications.   Source:  School Census and Edubase

School Buildings

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding is available for  (a) rebuilding and  (b) refurbishing (i) primary and (ii) secondary school premises in each of the next five years.

Jim Knight: In 2007-08, the final year in the current spending review period, £6.4 billion will be available for capital improvements in primary and secondary schools. In the next spending review period, £6.6 billion will be available in 2008-09, £6.9 billion in 2009-10, and £8.0 billion in 2010-11. No allocations have been agreed for further years. There is no breakdown of these figures between  (a) rebuilding and  (b) refurbishing, or between (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools, as expenditure decisions will be made individually by each local authority.

School Buildings

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which construction companies have been  (a) considered and  (b) selected as principal partners in the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Jim Knight: The following construction companies have been considered, as part of consortia shortlisted for Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects: Amey, Carillion, Skanska, Mill, HBG, Taylor Woodrow, Kier, Mott MacDonald, Alfred McAlpine, VT, Costain, Kajima, Bouygues, Sir Robert McAlpine, Balfour Beatty, Bovis Lend Lease, Bowmore Kirkland, Vinci, Galliford Try, Amec, Miller, Bilfinger Berger, Laing, Laing O'Rourke, Apollo, Wilmott Dixon and Wates.
	The following construction companies are part of consortia which have been selected as preferred bidders or which have signed contracts for BSF projects: Amey, Costain, Skanska, Bovis Lend Lease, Taylor Woodrow, Sir Robert McAlpine, Balfour Beatty, Miller, HBG, Laing O'Rourke, Mott MacDonald, Bouygues and Apollo.

School Food

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria will be used for assessing the effectiveness of the new school food policies; against what benchmarking evidence progress will be measured; over what time scale the policy's effectiveness will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The School Food Trust will have preliminary findings related to changes in the provision of school food available later this year. Preliminary results on children's consumption will be available in 2009 (for primary schools) and in 2010 (for secondary schools).
	In support of the drive to improve school food, and the commitments made in the Public Health White Paper "Choosing Health", Ofsted will expect schools to present evidence about their general approach to food and healthy eating (the 'whole school' approach) as well as more specifically about the standard of school lunches. Ofsted will routinely comment on the quality of school meals and will report on any issues which arise out of the self assessment or as a result of their inspection visit.
	In addition, Ofsted are undertaking a separate programme of visits to a smaller sample of schools. This will allow more detailed reporting on the standard of food provided and consumed in schools.
	These arrangements reflect our vision about the importance of healthy eating and our determination to support schools in their efforts to improve the nutritional quality of food and drink.

Special Educational Needs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many education supervision orders have been put in place in respect of children with a special educational need in each of the last five years in  (a) St. Albans and  (b) Hertfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect data relating to Education Supervision Orders.

Specialised Diplomas

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to promote the uptake of specialised diplomas  (a) in (i) schools, (ii) higher education institutions and (iii) colleges and  (b) among employers.

Jim Knight: Schools, colleges, work-based learning providers, higher education institutions and employers, through Diploma Development Partnerships, have been involved from the beginning in the design of the new diploma qualifications and will be key to the delivery of them.
	The Department has a number of channels through which we disseminate information to these stakeholders, e.g. regular emails, the 14-19 website (www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19), Directgov, and the 14-19 newsletter for which there is a subscription list. The focus so far has been on getting information to providers in preparation for the Gateway process.
	We have already received great interest from areas wishing to deliver the diplomas in 2008. 1,121 self assessments were received from consortia (partnerships comprising local authorities, learning and skills councils, schools, colleges, and employers/work-based learning providers) wishing to go through the Gateway process, which means that nearly every local authority area hopes to offer diplomas in 2008. The Gateway is a process that will assess consortia and identify those best equipped to secure the necessary awarding body approval to deliver the diplomas in 2008.
	On 12 December 2006, the Secretary of State announced our diploma 'champions' who will promote the diplomas and wider reforms with their sectors. These are:
	Sir Alan Jones, Chairman of Toyota as the diploma champion for employers;
	Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former Chief Inspector of Schools and current chair of the Learning Trust in Hackney, as the diploma champion for schools, colleges and work-based learning providers; and
	Professors Deian Hopkin, Vice Chancellor of London South Bank University and Michael Arthur, Vice Chancellor of the University of Leeds, as diploma champions for higher education.
	In addition, the Department is undertaking the following specific activity to promote the uptake of Diplomas:
	(i) nine regional conferences were held in October 2006 for schools and colleges and others involved in Gateway consortia, aimed at sharing information and practically supporting areas in the delivery of the 14-19 education reforms;
	(ii) five regional conferences are being held throughout December and January to provide information to higher education on the diplomas and other reforms;
	(iii) We are supporting the Association of Colleges to run a series of further education conferences on the 14-19 education reforms from February to March, which will include diploma workshops;
	(iv) We are working with the CBI and others to engage employers in diploma delivery. The DDPs will also be promoting the diplomas within their sectors.
	We do not expect all areas to be offering diplomas in September 2008. In spring 2007 we will be announcing which areas have passed through the Gateway process and will be offering diplomas for young people to study. We will then be targeting the young people and parents affected regionally with information to help individuals to make the best personal choice.

Truancy

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Government action to combat truancy since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 11 January 2007
	The Department focuses on reducing all absences from schools, not just those which are unauthorised. Overall absence rates have been substantially lower than the 1996-97 rate in all but two of the last nine years. In 2005-06, when absence rates were affected by unusually high levels of sickness, absence was still 0.54 percentage points below the 1996-97 level—equivalent to 37,000 more pupils in school every single day.
	We do not have a direct measure of truancy. Unauthorised absence is often used as a proxy for truancy, but it is an imperfect measure because it also includes lateness and some term time holidays. It is also well known that unauthorised absence tends to rise when schools take a tougher line on absence generally, as it has done in recent years, without reflecting any underlying increase in truancy. The latest figures show no increase in unauthorised absence. That is why the Department has moved away from targets focusing narrowly on rates of unauthorised absence.
	The vast majority of unauthorised absence is very short term: of the secondary school pupils with unauthorised absence in the autumn and spring terms 2005-06, 55 per cent. missed only one or two days and 75 per cent. missed 5 days or fewer. But we also now know that a small minority of pupils miss significant amounts of their schooling. That is why we are now focusing our efforts on reducing persistent absence, including persistent truancy, in schools where this problem is most acute. This is proving highly effective. Last year, our targeted challenge and support in 198 secondary schools helped to reduce the number of persistent truants in those schools by 27 per cent., to reduce the average rate of absence in those schools by 0.63 percentage points and the average rate of unauthorised absence by 0.89 percentage points.
	Building on that success, we are now focusing on providing challenge and support to 436 secondary schools with high levels of persistent absence.

Voluntary School Staff

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the contribution made by voluntary staff in schools; and if he will make a statement

Jim Knight: The Government would like to take this opportunity to recognise the important role that the wide range of volunteers play in supporting pupils and teachers in schools. Whether it be parents reading to pupils, learning mentor activities or the participation of undergraduates in schools through our own funded schemes such as the Student Associate Scheme or Undergraduate Ambassadors, they bring with them a wider range of skills, experience and knowledge, that complement the professional pedagogical skills of teachers and trained support staff.

Cabinet Office: Hospitality

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the Cabinet Office's expenditure was on hospitality and entertainment in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2005-06.

Hilary Armstrong: My department spent £649,000 on hospitality and entertainment in 2005-06.
	Information on hospitality and entertainment expenditure for 1996-97 is not held on the department's accounting system and is therefore not available.
	All Cabinet Office expenditure on official hospitality and entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and other HM Treasury guidance.

Special Advisers and Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether special advisers in her Department have made use of an official car in the last 12 months, excluding travel made when accompanying a Minister.

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Dr. Ladyman) to the hon. Member of 7 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1063W.

Statistics

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions in the last five years the publication date of statistics produced by her Department has been changed; what the  (a) subject of the statistics,  (b) (i) original and (ii) final date of publication and  (c) reason for the delay was in each case; and who took the decision to delay the publication in each case.

Hilary Armstrong: In accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice (2002), the Head of Profession for Statistics in the Cabinet Office has sole responsibility for determining, pre-announcing and, if necessary, altering the dates of publication of 'National Statistics' and other relevant statistics produced by the Department.
	Any decision to change a pre-announced publication date will be based on a range of professional considerations such as the completeness of the underlying data, their fitness for purpose, the need for consistency and coherence, the need to promote widespread access and informed debate, or any earlier accidental or wrongful release. In reaching their decision, the Head of Profession will also take into consideration the detailed procedural guidance given in the 'National Statistics Protocol on Release Practices'. The Code and its 12 supporting Protocols are available in the Library for the reference of Members, and can also be accessed using the following address:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/default.asp
	This Department has no historical record of the occasions on which the Head of Profession changed a pre-announced publication date in the last five years.

Benefit Claims

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims there have been for each benefit administered by his Department in each year from 1996-97 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following tables. The figures are for claims made in each year and do not indicate the number of awards made.
	
		
			  Claims received each year for benefits administered by DSS/DWP 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Income support (1)— (1)— 1,387,384 1,372,849 1,490,281 1,273,061 
			 Jobseeker's allowance (6)1,308,016 2,919,810 2,990,416 2,873,256 2,671,505 2,530,253 
			 Incapacity benefit 972,075 963,406 886,944 869,490 853,653 777,383 
			 Severe disablement allowance(5) 60,946 29,643 26,716 28,743 29,619 5,451 
			 Maternity allowance (1)— (1)— 52,097 47,516 45,751 45,654 
			 Bereavement benefit (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 26,528 
			 Bereavement payment (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 33,857 
			 Widows payment 24,534 24,727 24,220 27,540 21,887 2,545 
			 Widow's benefit 18,095 17,566 19,503 15,613 16,893 1,693 
			 IIDB(3) (Industrial accident) (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 5,759 
			 IIDB(3 )(Prescribed diseases) (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 10,690 
			 IIDB(3) (REA) (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 1,989 
			 Pension credit (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 State pension (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Attendance allowance (1)— 367,229 369,770 353,337 364,881 344,269 
			 Disability living allowance 491,167 437,531 375,198 370,443 386,815 384,765 
			 Carer's allowance (1)— (1)— (1)— 148,904 142,444 135,975 
			 Community care grant 1,145,572 1,154,428 1,125,836 602,675 547,672 538,443 
			 Budgeting loan 1,386,954 1,442,017 1,410,497 1,633,549 1,672,627 1,712,719 
			 Crisis loan 963,044 1,027,313 1,102,917 1,257,199 1,256,813 1,290,293 
			 Funeral payment 54,557 47,787 47,852 43,918 39,744 39,954 
			 Sure Start maternity (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 165,615 205,513 
		
	
	
		
			  Claims received each year for benefits administered by DWP 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Income support 1,154,940 960,294 861,583 829,154 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 2,536,351 2,314,388 2,122,140 2,201,321 
			 Incapacity benefit 905,613 799,773 754,253 695,919 
			 Severe disablement allowance(5) 1,089 698 613 555 
			 Maternity allowance 68,548 71,683 72,881 75,798 
			 Bereavement benefit 46,065 50,953 53,324 53,964 
			 Bereavement payment 61,433 68,053 65,917 65,697 
			 Widows payment 539 559 664 1,146 
			 Widow's benefit 5,620 639 305 934 
			 IIDB(4) (Industrial accident) 16,933 20,654 19,014 18,937 
			 IIDB(4) (Prescribed diseases) 31,053 37,604 25,743 21,704 
			 IIDB(4) (REA) 4,661 3,652 2,915 2,176 
			 Pension credit 496,317 1,177,394 802,248 434,924 
			 State pension 696,468 731,319 742,474 786,346 
			 Attendance allowance (1)— 422,142 393,889 413,807 
			 Disability living allowance (1)— (1)— 427,551 432,962 
			 Carer's allowance (1)— 232,068 234,804 249,916 
			 Community care grant 570,906 575,547 569,810 577,050 
			 Budgeting loan 1,697,664 1,684,836 1,623,107 1,639,141 
			 Crisis loan 1,348,774 1,378,009 1,348,122 1,373,985 
			 Funeral payment 67,953 71,492 69,599 67,834 
			 Sure Start maternity 278,887 310,538 321,537 325,641 
			 (1) No information available. This is because either data was not collected or the data is unreliable.  (2) IIDB = Industrial injuries disablement benefit.  (3) IIDB figures do not include some claims from overseas.  (4) REA = Reduced earnings allowance.  (5) No new claims have been accepted for severe disablement allowance since April 2001; figures after this date represent claims which have been rebuilt.  (6 )Jobseeker's allowance replaced unemployment benefit and income support for unemployed people on 7 October 1996. Therefore the figure for 1996-97 is a part year figure.   Source:  DWP management information data.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attendances there were at major (type 1) accident and emergency departments in each of the former 28 strategic health authority areas in each quarter since the quarter ended June 1997.

Andy Burnham: Full information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Attendances at accident and emergency departments in England, 1997-98 to Q2 2006-07 
			   Quarter  Type 1 attendances  Attendances at all A&E types 
			 1997-98 — — 14,364,146 
			 1998-99 — — 14,280,388 
			 1999-2000 — — 14,629,025 
			 2000-01 — — 14,293,307 
			 2001-02 Q1 — 3,633,823 
			 2001-02 Q2 — 3,685,719 
			 2001-02 Q3 — 3,443,924 
			 2001-02 Q4 — 3,340,876 
			 2002-03 Q1 2,913,291 3,740,076 
			 2002-03 Q2 3,095,650 3,746,866 
			 2002-03 Q3 2,882,500 3,435,018 
			 2002-03 Q4 2,930,874 3,469,562 
			 2003-04 Q1 3,217,931 4,132,497 
			 2003-04 Q2 3,281,186 4,347,584 
			 2003-04 Q3 3,106,667 4,027,622 
			 2003-04 Q4 3,059,698 4,009,142 
			 2004-05 Q1 3,377,850 4,502,578 
			 2004-05 Q2 3,381,219 4,556,695 
			 2004-05 Q3 3,257,398 4,374,927 
			 2004-05 Q4 3,249,353 4,402,980 
			 2005-06 Q1 3,520,931 4,859,578 
			 2005-06 Q2 3,403,089 4,744,255 
			 2005-06 Q3 3,346,995 4,605,971 
			 2005-06 Q4 3,282,671 4,549,360 
			 2006-07 Q1 3,509,769 4,891,724 
			 2006-07 Q2 3,493,340 4,892,547 
			  Notes: 1. Prior to Q1 (April to June) 2001-02, attendance data was collected annually and only as a total for all A&E types. At this time, this did not include walk-in centres. 2. A&E attendances split down into A&E type were first collected in Q1 (April to June) 2002-03. 3. From Q1 (April to June) 2003-04, attendances at walk-in centres were included in attendance information for all types of A&E department. Walk-in centres are considered to be a type 3 A&E service.  Source: Department of Health datasets KH09 and QMAE 
		
	
	
		
			  Attendances at all types of accident and emergency department, NHS regions, 1997-98 to 2001-02 
			   2001-02 
			  Region  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 
			  England  14,364,146  14,280,388  14,629,025  14,293,307  3,633,823  3,685,719  3,443,924  3,340,876 
			 Northern and Yorkshire 1,908,884 1,900,148 1,940,457 1,884,713 481,648 488,211 456,277 439,494 
			 Trent 1,344,814 1,324,409 1,329,038 1,303,643 344,868 338,374 320,761 309,316 
			 West Midlands 1,690,182 1,689,095 1,740,155 1,682,401 430,965 428,728 404,377 382,004 
			 North West 2,248,105 2,184,748 2,233,799 2,181,244 564,417 555,658 525,782 506,768 
			 Eastern 1,123,343 1,131,896 1,173,271 1,171,833 309,479 315,614 291,993 276,572 
			 London 2,528,522 2,538,380 2,584,316 2,548,166 602,536 619,611 612,470 599,224 
			 South East 2,102,652 2,102,444 2,154,529 2,080,948 539,428 552,400 506,653 491,606 
			 South West 1,417,644 1,409,268 1,473,460 1,440,359 360,482 387,123 325,611 335,892 
			  Notes: 1. Prior to Q1 (April to June) 2001-02, attendance data were collected annually and only as a total for all A&E types. At this time, this did not include walk-in centres. 2. A&E attendances split down into A&E type were not collected until Q1 (April to June) 2002-03. 3. Strategic health authorities were established from 1 April 2002. Prior to this, the national health service in England had regional health authorities.  Source: Department of Health dataset KH09 
		
	
	
		
			  Attendances at type 1 accident and emergency department, strategic health authorities, Q1 2002-03 to Q2 2006-07 
			   2002-03  2003-04 
			  SHA  Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4  Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 
			  England  2,913,291  3,095,650  2,882,500  2,930,874  3,217,931  3,281,186  3,106,667  3,249,353 
			  
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire HA 92,304 106,095 94,269 93,215 105,942 112,090 100,524 105,011 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire HA 83,741 86,041 80,665 82,643 89,494 90,301 88,953 94,770 
			 Essex HA 77,615 84,375 78,646 78,806 91,336 94,714 92,479 96,373 
			 North West London HA 141,806 160,240 154,179 160,367 162,551 163,301 163,120 183,052 
			 North Central London HA 96,749 101,049 98,802 102,806 119,068 118,186 118,069 117,739 
			 North East London HA 111,890 116,966 114,581 120,902 126,482 130,264 132,542 150,918 
			 South East London HA 118,717 118,576 111,971 117,163 130,333 113,741 126,194 142,415 
			 South West London HA 106,722 91,844 86,184 90,089 97,076 97,482 97,127 105,505 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear HA 85,208 88,259 84,327 83,234 97,706 99,453 93,431 96,746 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley HA 66,814 71,301 68,190 69,748 79,684 82,807 76,919 79,801 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire HA 80,995 87,462 80,176 81,417 90,311 93,785 84,548 87,497 
			 West Yorkshire HA 166,676 176,184 164,462 163,545 178,492 182,325 168,905 158,760 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire HA 112,689 120,115 108,873 108,039 120,160 123,743 111,035 115,051 
			 Greater Manchester HA 202,011 214,486 200,412 203,576 222,596 224,982 213,821 221,015 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside HA 163,902 179,833 170,100 166,403 183,318 187,871 177,613 180,798 
			 Thames Valley HA 92,770 101,727 92,964 93,415 104,763 105,926 99,712 107,873 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight HA 71,064 78,699 64,964 64,105 71,060 75,492 67,693 71,028 
			 Kent and Medway HA 85,447 88,867 85,783 83,389 93,476 95,614 87,645 88,428 
			 Surrey and Sussex HA 144,901 155,325 141,358 140,713 155,332 154,647 141,995 157,516 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 101,256 118,453 116,769 119,027 126,560 133,155 122,434 128,721 
			 South West Peninsula HA 68,519 76,484 65,827 69,023 78,434 85,570 73,202 73,969 
			 Dorset and Somerset HA 51,673 57,018 48,330 48,261 58,527 63,911 59,491 51,646 
			 South Yorkshire HA 88,804 95,108 87,961 89,699 98,103 101,153 96,754 98,202 
			 Trent HA 123,389 127,945 114,748 117,548 127,565 133,473 121,091 127,591 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 57,041 59,710 55,662 55,836 60,515 61,742 58,431 63,046 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 70,526 72,812 66,540 67,376 75,154 74,781 70,205 72,202 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country HA 171,293 176,872 168,783 174,182 186,842 189,470 180,150 183,791 
			 West Midlands South HA 78,769 83,804 76,974 86,347 87,051 91,207 82,584 90,159 
		
	
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			   Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4  Q1  Q2  Q3  Q4 
			  England  3,377,850  3,381,219  3,257,398  3,249,353  3,520,931  3,403,089  3,346,995  3,282,671 
			  
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire HA 113,539 118,005 108,112 105,011 117,281 115,079 109,897 106,542 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire HA 99,269 99,476 94,993 94,770 102,480 100,130 99,180 97,266 
			 Essex HA 100,299 102,795 96,646 96,373 103,076 101,919 100,534 100,260 
			 North West London HA 175,619 174,449 179,382 183,052 194,212 179,064 187,248 190,088 
			 North Central London HA 126,876 125,507 114,777 117,739 118,502 112,430 116,060 118,793 
			 North East London HA 140,594 142,189 145,439 150,918 158,992 148,498 152,719 159,581 
			 South East London HA 142,553 141,904 141,474 142,415 156,325 148,347 150,051 151,192 
			 South West London HA 105,399 103,839 104,694 105,505 107,579 102,877 107,084 106,653 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear HA 100,724 100,360 98,006 96,476 97,867 95,185 93,950 90,801 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley HA 85,987 85,942 81,533 79,801 89,727 85,063 82,027 80,990 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire HA 94,037 94,550 87,957 96,680 98,034 94,308 89,583 97,649 
			 West Yorkshire HA 179,052 176,804 168,046 158,760 174,021 167,784 166,954 163,397 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire HA 123,800 122,168 115,295 115,051 128,370 127,349 121,087 116,795 
			 Greater Manchester HA 227,928 221,756 221,216 221,015 241,235 232,725 235,462 233,230 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside HA 189,137 187,370 182,294 180,798 196,105 189,190 181,124 177,421 
			 Thames Valley HA 112,916 113,684 107,496 107,873 115,952 113,463 110,616 101,567 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight HA 75,609 75,358 70,307 71,028 78,425 78,929 75,499 70,740 
			 Kent and Medway HA 98,997 99,854 94,198 88,428 86,682 85,036 83,325 82,338 
			 Surrey and Sussex HA 150,684 154,353 156,633 157,516 171,840 168,510 155,933 145,955 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 134,129 134,919 128,323 128,721 143,317 137,038 130,376 122,838 
			 South West Peninsula HA 81,520 84,797 75,039 73,969 80,335 85,962 76,446 73,362 
			 Dorset and Somerset HA 56,077 57,258 51,901 51.646 57,927 60,299 54,191 51,730 
			 South Yorkshire HA 102,339 100,656 99,014 98,202 107,422 101,808 103,270 101,550 
			 Trent HA 134,971 137,296 128,115 127,591 143,058 137,756 131,989 128,440 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 65,872 65,108 63,098 63,046 70,375 66,826 66,486 65,069 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 76,514 78,475 72,333 72,202 80,137 76,579 73,996 71,883 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country HA 191,535 190,527 184,497 183,791 202,547 194,555 193,751 195,275 
			 West Midlands South HA 91,874 91,820 86,580 90,159 100,462 96,380 98,157 90,667 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07 
			   Q1  Q2 
			  England  3,509,769  3,493,340 
			
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire HA 118,318 121,025 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire HA 103,207 101,183 
			 Essex HA 106,035 105,340 
			 North West London HA 192,454 187,202 
			 North Central London HA 119,920 118,825 
			 North East London HA 153,101 147,532 
			 South East London HA 155,673 150,151 
			 South West London HA 109,253 107,788 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear HA 98,191 97,384 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley HA 89,623 89,882 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire HA 98,034 97,649 
			 West Yorkshire HA 175,443 172,654 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire HA 129,679 129,662 
			 Greater Manchester HA 251,217 245,735 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside HA 187,683 186,105 
			 Thames Valley HA 109,831 109,564 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight HA 78,388 79,631 
			 Kent and Medway HA 87,942 89,622 
			 Surrey and Sussex HA 156,395 157,963 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 137,526 137,602 
			 South West Peninsula HA 86,392 90,923 
			 Dorset and Somerset HA 58,245 61,391 
			 South Yorkshire HA 108,254 107,175 
			 Trent HA 142,585 143,782 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 70,530 69,487 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 78,814 77,853 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country HA 206,959 206,758 
			 West Midlands South HA 100,077 103,472 
			  Notes: 1. Prior to Q1 (April to June) 2001-02, attendance data was collected annually and only as a total for all A&E types. At this time, this did not include walk-in centres. 2. A&E attendances split down into A&E type were first collected in Q1 (April to June) 2002-03. 3. From Q1 (April to June) 2003-04, attendances at walk-in centres were included in attendance information for all types of A&E department. Walk-in centres are considered to be a type 3 A&E service. 4. Strategic health authorities were established from 1 April 2002. Prior to this, the national health service in England had regional health authorities.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMAE

Furniture

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by her Department on furniture made by British firms in each year since 2000.

Ivan Lewis: The following recorded spend has been made by the Department on furniture made by British firms each year since 2000.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2000-01 (1)— 
			 2001-02 (1)— 
			 2002-03 74,000 
			 2003-04 17,500 
			 2004-05 6,000 
			 2005-06 49,400 
			 2006 to date 19,400 
			 (1) no record

Healthcare-related Infections

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile have been reported in each hospital located within the Greater London area in each year since 2000.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested has been placed in the Library. It is also available on the Health Protection Agencies website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/mandatory_report_2006.htm
	For methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the annual data relates to the period from April 2001, and for Clostridium difficile, (patients aged 65 and over), for the period from January 2004.

NHS: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Barnet residents  (a) received (i) a cataract operation, (ii) a heart operation and (iii) a cancer operation in (A) 1996-97 and (B) 2005-06 and  (b) have received each type of operation in 2006-07; what the average waiting time was for each operation in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: This information is not available in the format requested. However, the table shows the latest figures available for the count of finished consultant episodes for cataract procedures and heat procedures at Barnet primary care trust (PCT). These figures are not available for cancer operations.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes for cataract procedures (OPCS codes C71, C72, C74, C75) and heart procedures (OPCS codes K01-K71) in 2005-06 and 1996-97, at Barnet PCT 
			  Procedure group  Finished consultant episodes  Mean waiting time  Median waiting time 
			  2005-06
			 Cataract 1,633 71.28 67 
			 Heart 1,774 109.30 90 
			 
			  1996-97
			 Cataract 993 142.01 107 
			 Heart 914 81.33 52 
			  Notes: 1. Median figures are a better proxy to the average time waited as mean figures can cloud the real picture if some anomalies (longwaiters) may artificially increase the average. 2. Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 3. Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 4. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed). 5. Time waited (days) Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Arson

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of arson there were in the  (a) Lisburn Road and  (b) University and Holyland areas in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The number of occasions on which the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has been called upon to deal with incidents of arson in the areas specified is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Area 
			   Lisburn road  University and Holyland  Total 
			 2002 111 176 287 
			 2003 81 179 260 
			 2004 92 245 337 
			 2005 78 205 283 
			 2006 138 256 394 
			 Total 500 1,061 1,561

Dangerous Dogs Legislation

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to amend dangerous dogs legislation in Northern Ireland; and how many successful prosecutions there have been under existing legislation in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: The dangerous dogs legislation is enforced in Northern Ireland by district councils, My officials have written to councils and will over the coming months be liaising with councils and other interested parties to ascertain their views on the current legislation. Following the outcome of these discussions I will consider if further amendments to the legislation are required.
	District councils provide statistical information to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development with respect to enforcement of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 (as amended), including the number of prosecutions taken for offences under the legislation. However, prior to 2006 these returns did not specifically distinguish prosecutions regarding dangerous dogs from other prosecutions taken under the legislation. The information is included at table 1 as follows.
	
		
			  Table 1: prosecutions under the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 (figures supplied to DARD by district councils) 
			   Minor offences(e.g. fouling, licensing)  Serious offences (e.g. attacks by dogs)  Dangerous dogs  Annual total 
			 2002 160 46 — 206 
			 2003 265 64 — 329 
			 2004(1) 177 51 — 228 
			 2005(1) 139 35 — 174 
			 2006(2) 47 18 (3)5 (3)71 
			 (1) Prior to 2006 returns did not specifically distinguish prosecutions with respect to dangerous dogs. (2) Figures only available to the end of June 2006. (3) Figures include six cases pending.

Traffic Violations

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many traffic violations resulting in fixed penalties being issued there were in Northern Ireland in  (a) November 2005 and  (b) November 2006.

Paul Goggins: I have been informed by the police service of Northern Ireland of the following:
	
		
			  Notice type  Notices issued November 2005  Notices issued November 2006( 1) 
			 Endorsable FPNs 1,374 1,260 
			 Non Endorsable FPNs 3,634 2,478 
			 Parking FPNs 6,777 532 
			 ( 1 ) Figures for notices issued during November are correct as of 5 December 2006. 
		
	
	From 30 October 2006, the responsibility for on street parking enforcement passed to the Roads Service of the Department for Regional Development. PSNI therefore no longer hold records in respect of those parking offences which fall within the responsibility of the Department for Regional Development. PSNI still enforce a number of specified offences such as obstruction, parking on a pedestrian crossing etc.

Fire Service College

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people are employed at the Fire Service College, broken down by category of employment.

Angela Smith: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Fire Service College: Staff in post as at January 2007 
			   Number 
			 Civil servants (permanent) (1)202 
			 Seconded officers 44 
			 Casual civil servants 1 
			 Total 247 
			 (1) Of whom 22 are part-time

Migration

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's latest estimate is of net migration  (a) per year and  (b) over the next 20 years into (i) each Government Office region in England and (ii) England.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 16 January 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question about the latest estimates of net migration (a) per year and (b) over the next 20 years at England and Government Office Region level. I am replying in her absence. (114499)
	The Office for National Statistics publishes international migration estimates for calendar years in its migration annual reference volume (series MN) which can be found on the ONS website at http://nswebcopy/STATBASE/Product.asp?vlnk=507. The most recent estimates on this basis are for 2004.
	Mid-year to mid-year estimates of net international migration are calculated as a component of change within the official population estimates. Table 1 shows the 2003-04 and 2004-05 net international migration used in these estimates.
	The ONS is also responsible for the regular production of official national and subnational population projections. In producing these, the ONS makes assumptions on the future levels of international migration over the projected period. These assumptions are based upon observed historic trends in migration and are the subject of a consultation with key users and local authorities. Table 2 shows the assumptions on future levels of net international migration for years 2005-06 to 2007-08 as used in the most recent, 2004-based, sets of projections. The international migration assumptions for the year 2007-08 are the long-term assumptions and remain at the same level for the following 20 years. Note that these assumptions are based on historic data to mid 2004 only and so are not consistent with the 2004-05 estimates shown in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Net international migration( 1)  for England and Government Office Regions used in the mid-year estimates 
			  Thousand 
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			 England 165 234 
			 North East 4 12 
			 NorthWest 14 10 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 17 12 
			 East Midlands 4 7 
			 West Midlands 10 24 
			 East 0 23 
			 London 101 116 
			 South East 8 27 
			 South West 5 4 
			 (1) Excludes cross border flows to and from other UK countries  Source:  Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Net international migration( 1)  for England and Government Office Regions used in the 2004-based subnational population projections 
			 Thousand 
			   2005-06  2006-07 ( 2) 2007-08 
			 England 182 160 138 
			 North East 5 5 4 
			 North West 13 11 9 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 20 19 17 
			 East Midlands 4 3 2 
			 West Midlands 13 11 10 
			 East 5 3 2 
			 London 100 91 83 
			 South East 17 13 10 
			 South West 5 3 2 
			 (1) Excludes cross border flows to and from other UK countries (2) The international migration assumptions for the year 2007-08 are the long-term assumptions and remain at the same level for the following 20 years  Source:  Office for National Statistics

Legal Aid

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of legal aid costs has been paid to  (a) solicitors,  (b) expert witnesses and (c) counsel in (i) criminal and (ii) family law cases in each of the last five years.

Vera Baird: The information is provided in the following table.
	It is not possible to state what proportion of costs is spent on expert witnesses as this is not recorded centrally.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Criminal law  
			 Solicitor costs 73 71 70 70 69 
			 Counsel costs 27 29 30 30 31 
			   
			  Family law  
			 Solicitor costs 80 76 75 77 77 
			 Counsel costs 20 24 25 23 23

Legal Aid

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost of  (a) family and  (b) criminal legal aid was in each of the last 10 years.

Vera Baird: The information requested is given in the following table, in terms of cash expenditure.
	
		
			  £ million net 
			   Total family legal aid  Total criminal legal aid 
			 1996-97 392 669 
			 1997-98 389 733 
			 1998-99 423 788 
			 1999-2000 420 784 
			 2000-01 443 872 
			 2001-02 399 982 
			 2002-03 450 1,096 
			 2003-04 493 1,179 
			 2004-05 488 1,192 
			 2005-06 536 1,197